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The Crime Branch of Pune Police has arrested a man posing as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer assigned to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The 54-year-old impersonator was apprehended after attending a charitable trust event in Aundh earlier this week, reported the Indian Express.
The arrested man has been identified as Vasudev Nivrutti Tayde.
Tayde pretended to be Dr Vinay Deo, a Deputy Secretary with the PMO and claimed to be involved in work related to intelligence.
According to police officials, the Pune-based organisation Borderless World Foundation held a function in the Aundh area on Monday where an ambulance was to be sent to Jammu and Kashmir as part of a charitable initiative.
A person known to the organisers sent an invitation to 'Dr Vinay Deo' for the event. However, when his claims of being a PMO official sounded suspicious to some of those present at the event, they inquired about him and discovered discrepancies in his claims, a police officer told the Indian Express.
Tayde is known to have studied for and failed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam in the past.
A Crime Branch officer said that their investigation indicated that Tayde was charged with impersonating a government official by the Dhule district police in 2000 as well.
"We are now investigating how long he has been posing as an IAS officer and whether there have been any violations or if anyone has been cheated financially or otherwise by him," he added.
According to officials, Tayde left Dhule in the early 2000s after being charged with impersonation and later relocated to Pune.
Tayde was apprehended and questioned after a team from Unit 1 of the Crime Branch launched an investigation. He was apprehended outside his home.
"The initial investigation suggests that the suspect was moving around posing as an IAS officer," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amol Zende, adding, "We're looking into whether he's defrauded any more people or businesses through impersonation."
Tayde was charged with cheating and impersonation under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further investigation into the case is underway.
