Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh: A woman has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district for allegedly posing as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, marrying a man by misrepresenting her identity, and later attempting to extort ₹40 lakh from him, police said. She was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
The accused has been identified as Sadhana. Her father Narendra Pal Singh, brother Surya Pratap, and maternal uncle Rajendra Singh, all residents of Sateti village in Budaun district, have also been named in the case.
According to police, an FIR was registered at Faridpur Police Station on a complaint filed by the victim, Abhishek. The case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, which deals with cheating by personation using computer resources.
Investigators alleged that Sadhana and her family created a false impression that she was an IAS officer by uploading fabricated photographs and videos on social media. Believing the claims to be genuine, the complainant agreed to marry her.
According to the FIR, the accused’s behaviour allegedly changed after the marriage. She is accused of attempting to strangulate her husband, threatening him and his family with serious consequences, and demanding ₹40 lakh from him.
Police said Sadhana was arrested following a search operation. During interrogation, she allegedly admitted that she had uploaded fake photographs and videos on Facebook portraying herself as an IAS officer to gain the confidence of the complainant and his family.
Investigators further alleged that she confessed to demanding ₹40 lakh from her husband and asking him to sell his agricultural land to finance the construction of a hospital on a plot owned by her in Budaun. She also allegedly admitted assaulting her husband during a domestic dispute.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Sadhana is a Bachelor of Science (BSc) graduate preparing for government job examinations, while her father is a farmer. Police are examining fake photographs, videos, digital records, and other electronic evidence to determine whether similar methods were used to deceive other individuals.
Police said the investigation is continuing and the role of the other named accused is also being examined. Investigators are analysing digital evidence, social media activity, and financial transactions to establish the full extent of the alleged fraud and determine whether additional victims were targeted using the same modus operandi.
