BHOPAL: TT Nagar police on Friday detained a woman who was wearing a police officer's uniform of the rank of an additional superintendent of police (ASP), adorned with the Ashoka emblem, while strolling in the New Market area. Her suspicious behaviour and discrepancies in her uniform raised concerns, leading to her detention.
The woman revealed during questioning that she donned the uniform to keep her ailing mother happy by pretending to have secured a job in the police force. TT Nagar police registered a case against her under section 205 (Wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent) of BNS and started investigations.
SHO TT Nagar Sunil Bhadouria said that on Friday evening, a female constable stationed near New Market noticed a woman in an ASP uniform. Around 6pm, the woman, later identified as Shivani Chauhan, 28, was entering the market. The constable saluted her but grew suspicious upon observing her nameplate. Unlike standard officer nameplates, Shivani's included four numerical digits beneath her name, a feature specific to constables and head constables. Suspecting foul play, the constable informed the TT Nagar police station staff. Upon being asked to accompany the officers to the station, Shivani agreed without resistance. During questioning, it was discovered that she was not an ASP but an imposter. She told the police that she joined the force in 2020 and received a promotion within two years, further raising doubts among the officers.
SHO Bhadouria said that Shivani Chauhan hails from Indore and has been preparing for competitive examinations for several years. In 2019, she appeared for the MPPSC exam but failed to qualify. At that time, her mother was gravely ill and hospitalised. To lift her mother's spirits, Shivani falsely claimed to have secured a job as a DSP. To maintain the illusion, she later purchased an ASP uniform from a police canteen in Indore and began wearing it occasionally.
SHO Bhadouria said that on Friday, Shivani travelled from Indore to Bhopal with her cousin. She informed her family that she was heading to Police Headquarters (PHQ). After reaching Bhopal, she dropped her cousin at a hotel in Lalghati and proceeded to New Market. It was there that TT Nagar police noticed her and detained her for questioning. Preliminary investigations revealed that Shivani previously visited a police station and took photos with police personnel without arousing suspicion. However, no illegal activities have been associated with her actions thus far. The police are continuing their investigation into the case.
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