Rajkot, October 14, 2026: A UPSC aspirant from Dhule district in Maharashtra was arrested in Rajkot after allegedly impersonating a 2023-batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre to secure free or concessional accommodation at a government guesthouse.
The accused, identified as Prashant Kachve (also referred to as Prashant Shantaram Kachwe), a resident of the Kalbede Ashram School Road area in Kalbede Kangane, Dhule, posed as “Rahul Singh.” He claimed he had arrived in the city on official work with his pregnant wife and sought a room at a discounted rate or free of cost.
According to a complaint lodged by Yogirajsinh Gohil (32), Deputy Mamlatdar at the Rajkot Prant City-1 office, Prant Officer Atulsinh received a phone call on October 12 from a person claiming to be a civil servant. The caller requested a room at a government guesthouse, citing his wife’s pregnancy. Atulsinh alerted Gohil, who returned the call to verify details of the designation and posting. Evasive responses raised suspicions.
Officials summoned the caller to the administrative office. He arrived around 7:30 pm, reiterated that he was Rahul Singh of the 2023 Maharashtra cadre batch, and presented the same false identity to the guesthouse manager (Jignesh Bawada) and local police personnel. Sustained questioning exposed inconsistencies in his account. He then admitted his real identity.
Inspector M. D. Makwana of Pradyuman Nagar police station stated that Kachve obtained official administrative contact numbers online during his journey from Maharashtra to Gujarat. In initial questioning, he said he was preparing for the UPSC examinations and had travelled to Rajkot to buy buffaloes. He admitted to the impersonation in an attempt to avoid room charges or pay only a nominal fee.
A complaint was registered at Pradyuman Nagar police station for impersonating a public servant. Police have arrested him and initiated further investigation.
The case highlights a relatively low-stakes attempt to misuse official status for free government facilities, which was detected through prompt verification by local revenue officials.
