A 55-year-old Punjab Home Guard jawan posted with the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Doraha was arrested for posing as an IPS officer, threatening and assaulting staff at a roadside dhaba, and misbehaving with customers.
The accused has been identified as Amarjit Singh, a married resident of Maloud (Chomon village) in Payal tehsil, Ludhiana district. He was recently transferred from jail duty to the GRP and was posted at Doraha railway station.
Incident Details
According to police and CCTV footage, the incident occurred late on Friday night at 3-J dhaba on the National Highway (GT Road) in Doraha. Amarjit Singh arrived in uniform wearing IPS badges. He questioned the staff about why the establishment was open late at night. When an employee began explaining, he claimed to be a senior IPS officer, abused the staff, manhandled one employee and another staff member, and threatened them with consequences if they did not close the dhaba immediately. He also misbehaved with customers present at the time.
Reports indicate he arrived on a Bullet motorcycle. Some accounts state he had a custom-sewn IPS-style uniform and had previously been seen moving around the area in it while intimidating locals and shopkeepers.
Police Action and Charges
Doraha police acted promptly after receiving the complaint. Station House Officer Jashanpreet Singh confirmed the arrest, stating that verification of the individual’s credentials led to his identification as a Punjab Home Guard employee posted locally. The fake IPS uniform/badges were recovered. The accused is being interrogated regarding the source of the IPS insignia and whether he had previously impersonated an IPS officer or cheated members of the public.
A case has been registered under Sections 204 (personating a public servant), 205 (wearing garb or carrying token used by a public servant with fraudulent intent), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
SHO Jashanpreet Singh also noted that the accused is not in a stable state of mind and is taking antidepressants.
The investigation, directed at the level of Khanna SSP Dr. Darpan Ahluwalia, is continuing to establish the full circumstances, the origin of the uniform and badges, and any prior similar conduct.
This incident highlights concerns over unauthorised use of official insignia and the importance of rapid verification of credentials by local police.
