A 74-year-old man, Anil Katyal, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly impersonating a retired IPS officer and threatening police officers in an attempt to secure the release of his friend, who had been arrested in connection with a case at the Indirapuram police station in Ghaziabad, UP. Katyal, a former communications company executive, claimed to be a 1979-batch IPS officer from the Manipur cadre and a former Intelligence Bureau (IB) official. He further asserted that he was an advisor to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The arrest followed a complaint filed by Neeraj Rathore, the public relations officer of DCP (Trans-Hindon) Nimish Patil. According to Rathore, Katyal, a resident of Delhi’s Greater Kailash, contacted him on November 14 at around 4:30 PM. During the call, Katyal introduced himself as a retired IPS officer and attempted to interfere in the investigation of his friend, Vinod Kapoor, who had been detained for non-cooperation and providing misleading information. Kapoor was being investigated by Inspector Hooda for his involvement in the case.
Katyal allegedly threatened Rathore with legal action under BNS Section 140 (1), which carries a penalty of life imprisonment. He claimed his friend had been wrongfully arrested. Police said Katyal used his fake credentials to exert pressure on officers, including sub-inspector Krishna Kumar Sharma, in a bid to halt the investigation.
On Tuesday, Katyal went to the office of Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra, where he reiterated his claims and attempted to gain further influence. To bolster his credibility, he brought along five individuals who posed as IPS officers. Katyal’s insistence on taking a photograph with the commissioner raised suspicions, leading to an investigation.
Authorities later confirmed that no officer named Anil Katyal had ever served as an IPS officer in the 1979 Manipur cadre. As a result, Katyal was arrested from his Delhi residence on Wednesday. He faces multiple charges, including impersonating a public servant, obstructing official duties, attempting extortion, and cheating under various sections of the BNS Act.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by authorities to prevent impersonation of public servants and maintain the integrity of ongoing investigations.
