Man posing as IAS officer caught in Saran

Patna: A man impersonating as an IAS officer, met with senior officials, including the SSP and DM, in Saran district on Monday. However, his true identity was revealed when he failed to answer questions asked by the Saran DM about administrative work and services.

Claiming to be a senior official from Uttar Pradesh, he was later caught and handed over to the police. His family claimed that he is mentally unstable and has an obsession with meeting officials, but they failed to provide any medical proof, police said.


The arrested person was identified as Ritesh Kumar, son of Krishna Pandit, a resident of Basadhi village in Mufassil police station area of Saran district.

According to a police official, “Ritesh visited the office of SSP Vineet Kumar and introduced himself as an IAS officer posted in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He even gifted a bouquet to the SSP. After meeting the SSP, his confidence grew, and he went on to meet Saran DM Vaibhava Srivastava.”

Initially, both talked on some general topics. The DM, however, became suspicious when Ritesh failed to answer questions about administrative work and services. The DM immediately called for Saran ASP Ram Pukar Singh and asked him to investigate Ritesh’s background. The investigation revealed that Ritesh’s claims were false.

Ritesh’s family claimed that he was preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam and had an obsession with meeting officials. They also claimed that Ritesh was mentally ill, but they failed to provide any medical certificate to support their claim.

The police are now investigating whether Ritesh used his fake identity to cheat anyone. “We are interrogating him and investigating his past records, contacts, and activities to determine if he committed any other crime,” said Sanjeev Kumar, SHO of Town police station.

The police registered a case against Ritesh.