Ex-chief secretary’s son posed as IPS, RAW and army officer, swindled lakhs; arrested

THe Dehradun constabulary on th proclaimed the stoppage of R Yashovardhan, 35, the boy of a retired Uttarakhand chief secretary, accusing him of using fabricated government identities to swindle his victims.To his victims, police said Yashovardhan had presented himself as an officer of the Indian Police Service, the Indian Army, and the external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).He was arrested during an operation at the Civil Services Institute intersection on the Mussoorie Road on Thursday, said Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pramendra Dobhal, adding that they began looking for Yashovardhan after complaints were filed over the past two weeks.Also read: India’s first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 to launch on July 18The first complaint was lodged on July 8 by Anshul Upadhyay, a resident of Dakra Bazar in Dehradun, who alleged that the accused, posing as a senior government official, called him to a hotel near Sai Mandir and took ₹15 lakh from him after promising to fast-track a corporate registration.The second complaint was filed on July 15 by Dr Anusha, who alleged that Yashovardhan introduced himself as an IPS officer and promised to get her a job as a data science consultant in the defence ministry.Also read: 'PM afraid of Wangchuk': Kejriwal recalls Anna Hazare 2011 movement, proposes activist for education ministerYashovardhan’s father, S Ramaswamy, was an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1986 batch and was the state’s chief secretary from December 2016 to October 2017.Ramaswamy could not be reached for comment, and calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.Dobhal said Yashovardhan allegedly targeted job seekers and businesspersons by promising government jobs, assistance in securing tenders and expedited official clearances.Five fake identity cards, eight fake visiting cards, 25 police and Army insignia, three pairs of Army and paramilitary uniforms, three fake service ribbons, a wireless set and a laptop have been seized from his possession, said Dobhal.Also read: Stampede-like situation during Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri leaves 2 dead, nearly 100 hospitalisedHe said Yashovardhan allegedly targeted job seekers and businesspersons by promising government jobs, assistance in securing tenders and expedited official clearances. “His polished communication skills, official-looking attire, and forged credentials helped him easily convince victims that he was an active-duty officer,” the SSP added.Dobhal said Yashovardhan had always wanted to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). But he did not make the cut despite several attempts at the Civil Services Examination conducted by the public service recruiter, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).At some point, he began impersonating senior officials to get a sense of satisfaction and exploit people’s trust, Dobhal said.