'Ajit Doval’s undercover agent': Man posing as IAS officer arrested; police seize Tesla, 31 litres of imported liquor and barasingha horns

A man who posed as an IAS officer and falsely claimed to have links with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was arrested in Bihar's Khagaria district, police said on Monday, according to PTI.

The arrest followed a raid at the man's residence, where police recovered a Tesla car, an SUV, imported liquor and several other items.

The accused has been identified as Manish Gupta, a resident of Jamalpur under the Gogri police station area. Khagaria Superintendent of Police Bhanu Pratap Singh said Gupta posed as a senior government official and was involved in fraudulent activities in different parts of Bihar.


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Fake IAS officer arrested after police raid in Khagaria

Acting on a tip-off, police raided Gupta's premises and arrested him on Sunday, the SP said, according to PTI.

During questioning, Gupta presented documents to support his claims of being a government official and an undercover agent linked to the National Security Advisor.

“During interrogation, Gupta showed a card of the Central Vigilance Commission and claimed that he worked as an undercover agent under National Security Advisor Ajit Doval,” Singh said.

“He also showed an identity card mentioning him to be an IAS officer. Preliminary investigation showed that all these claims were fake,” the SP added.

Tesla car with ‘Government Of India’ board seized

Among the items recovered during the police operation was a Tesla car equipped with a full self-driving feature. Police said the vehicle had a ‘Government Of India’ board displayed on it.

The authorities also seized a Tata Safari from the premises.

The recovery of the Tesla drew particular attention as such vehicles with the stated full self-driving feature are uncommon in India.

“The Tesla car with full self-driving technology feature is a rarity in India,” Singh said.

Police recover imported liquor and multiple phones

According to PTI, police also recovered more than 31 litres of imported foreign liquor along with a large quantity of beer from Gupta's residence.

The seized items also included five iPhones, 20 credit cards, eight debit cards and four cheque-books, besides other articles.

Police are now examining whether the recovered items and the accused's assets are connected to the alleged fraudulent activities.

Barasingha horns also found at residence

Police said the raid also led to the recovery of two horns allegedly belonging to a barasingha, or swamp deer.

Singh said possession of such wildlife parts is punishable under the Wildlife Protection Act.

“The Tesla car with full self-driving technology feature is a rarity in India. We also recovered two horns of a barasingha (swamp deer), possession of which is punishable under the Wildlife Protection Act,” the SP said.

The recovery has added a wildlife-related angle to the investigation into the accused.

Bihar Police to probe source of Gupta's assets

The Bihar Police are now examining Gupta's properties and assets with assistance from specialised agencies, including the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police.

Investigators are looking into how the accused allegedly acquired his wealth and whether the assets were connected to fraudulent activities.

“The assets he acquired were through fraud, deception, or corruption,” Singh said.

Large-scale investigation into alleged fraud

Police said a wider investigation will be conducted into the allegations against Gupta.

The probe will focus on alleged impersonation, fraud and the source of the assets recovered during the raid. Investigators are also expected to examine whether other people were involved in the alleged operations.

The police action came after authorities received information about Gupta allegedly presenting himself as a senior government official.

Further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.


Inputs from agencies