Punjab Home Guard Jawan Amarjit Singh Arrested for Posing as IPS Officer in Doraha
A 55-year-old Punjab Home Guard jawan posted with the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Doraha has been arrested for allegedly posing as an IPS officer, threatening and assaulting staff at a roadside dhaba, and misbehaving with customers present there.
The accused has been identified as Amarjit Singh, a married resident of Maloud (Chomon village) in Payal tehsil of Ludhiana district. He had recently been transferred from jail duty to the GRP and was posted at Doraha railway station.
What happened at the dhaba
According to police and CCTV footage, the incident took place late on Friday night at 3-J dhaba on the National Highway, also known as GT Road, in Doraha. Amarjit Singh reached the spot on a Bullet motorcycle while wearing a uniform fitted with IPS badges.
He allegedly questioned the staff about why the dhaba was open so late at night. When an employee started 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 shut the dhaba immediately. He also allegedly misbehaved with the customers who were present at the time.
Reports also suggest that he was wearing a custom-sewn IPS-style uniform and had earlier been seen moving around the area in it while intimidating locals and shopkeepers.
Police response and charges
Doraha police moved in after receiving the complaint. Station House Officer Jashanpreet Singh confirmed the arrest and said that verification of the accused’s credentials established that he was a Punjab Home Guard employee posted locally. The fake IPS uniform and badges were recovered from him.
The police are now questioning him about where he obtained the IPS insignia and whether he had earlier impersonated an IPS officer or cheated members of the public in a similar manner.
A case has been registered under Sections 204, 205 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Section 204 relates to personating a public servant, Section 205 to wearing garb or carrying a token used by a public servant with fraudulent intent, and Section 351(2) covers criminal intimidation.
SHO Jashanpreet Singh also said the accused is not in a stable state of mind and is taking antidepressants.
The investigation, being conducted under the direction of Khanna SSP Dr. Darpan Ahluwalia, is continuing to establish the full sequence of events, the origin of the uniform and badges, and whether there was any earlier similar conduct.
Police action in the case has also raised concerns about the unauthorised use of official insignia and the need for prompt verification of credentials by local authorities when such complaints arise.
