Noida man poses as IPS officer in Lucknow, scolds cops for not saluting him, arrested after payment dispute at tea stall

A 38-year-old man was arrested by Lucknow Police for allegedly pretending to be an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and misusing the identity to intimidate police personnel at a tea stall, officials told PTI. As per the PTI report, the accused, identified as Lucknow resident Mithilesh Shukla, was booked for allegedly impersonating a public servant and obstructing government work.

Police receive complaint over tea stall dispute

According to police officials, the incident took place on the night of June 13 when officers received information about a dispute at a tea shop near Gol Market crossing. The argument was reportedly linked to a payment issue between Shukla and the shopkeeper.

A police team reached the spot after receiving the complaint and found Shukla involved in a heated argument with the tea stall owner.

Man claims to be IPS officer from Noida

During questioning, Shukla allegedly introduced himself as an "IPS officer from Noida" and questioned the police personnel for not saluting him and not wearing their caps, officials said.

Police said the man was asked to show his identity card to verify his claim. However, he allegedly left the place saying that he would bring the document later.

A video of the incident later surfaced on social media and went viral.

Police question accused after another complaint

On June 15, police received another complaint about the same person allegedly creating a disturbance at the tea stall. Following this, officers brought Shukla to the police station for questioning.

During interrogation, Shukla allegedly accepted that he worked as an account executive at a company located in Sector 18, Noida, and was not an IPS officer, police officials said.

The Mahanagar Police registered a case against Shukla and arrested him on charges related to impersonating a public servant and obstructing government work, officials said.