Delhi: CBI starts probes into scams impersonating top government office

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has had to confront multiple cases of impersonation involving the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), exposing how the authority of one of India’s most powerful institutions is being misused for deceit and profit. Though these incidents are relatively few, they raise serious questions about the ease with which individuals have managed to forge official identities and exploit citizens and institutions alike.

Two major cases, registered within months of each other, have brought the issue into focus. Both complaints were filed by the Assistant Director of the PMO, outlining elaborate scams spanning multiple states and involving fake correspondence, fraudulent requests for privileges, and large-scale financial deceit.

The 2025 Tirumala impersonation case

The most recent case, registered on October 2, 2025, centres on a series of impersonations carried out between May and August 2025 by P Rama Rao, a resident of New Rajinder Nagar, Delhi. Living in a modest quarter at the CSIR–NPL Colony, Rao allegedly operated the entire fraud single-handedly, unsettling several PMO officials in the process.

The investigation was triggered by a written complaint from the PMO on July 7, 2025, which included a letter dated May 1, 2025, sent to the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in Andhra Pradesh. The letter, signed by a person claiming to be Dr P Rama Rao, Deputy Secretary in the PMO, requested special arrangements for himself and his family, including Suprabhatam Darshan of Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy on May 10, 2025, and three air-conditioned double-bed rooms in Tirumala for two nights.

The PMO later confirmed that no such official named Dr P Rama Rao had ever been employed in their office. Subsequent complaints, lodged on August 21 and 29, 2025, revealed more instances of impersonation. In one case, Rao allegedly posed as a Joint Secretary in the PMO to secure admission for an individual into the MBA programme at Symbiosis International University, Pune, using the mobile number 9873015400. In another, a letter sent to the Tehsildar in Mysore, Karnataka, under the name C Sridhar, Joint Secretary to the PM, requested land documents — again using the same mobile number.

The identical phone number linked the cases, strongly suggesting a single perpetrator operating under multiple aliases. The CBI has charged Rao under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating, impersonation, and forgery, along with Section 66D of the IT Act for misuse of computer resources. The investigation is being led by Shri Nitin Kumar, Police Inspector, tasked with uncovering the full scope of the fraud.

The 2013–2021 financial scam

A second case, registered earlier on March 18, 2025, involves a more extensive cheating and impersonation scheme that operated between 2013 and 2021. The accused — Praveen Kumar Tigga and Shekhar Mehrol — allegedly posed as high-ranking officials of the PMO to defraud people of crores of rupees.

The case surfaced after two Right to Information (RTI) applicants, Alexander Anton and Nilesh Ekka, sought verification of Tigga’s credentials in May and June 2024. Tigga had long claimed to be an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2008 batch attached to the PMO — a claim the PMO categorically denied.

Investigations revealed that Tigga exploited this fabricated identity to extract large sums from individuals by promising petrol pump allotments, gas agency licences, college admissions, and jobs in the Oil and Petroleum Ministry. Anton reported paying Rs 1.75 crore to Tigga between 2013 and 2021 for a petrol pump allotment in Raipur — a promise never fulfilled.

Also Read: Over 100 corruption cases registered by CBI in Delhi in 2025

Mehrol, described as Tigga’s associate, allegedly coordinated meetings and managed operations. The CBI also noted that Tigga faces two additional FIRs in Ambikapur Dehat but remains absconding. He has been charged under relevant provisions of the BNS for criminal conspiracy, impersonating a public servant, and cheating. The investigation is being led by RK Srivastava, Deputy Superintendent of Police, who is tracing the money trail and network involved.

The Noida impersonation case of 2024

In a separate case last year, 2024, the CBI took legal action against Jeetendra Kumar Parida, a resident of Green View Apartments, Sector 99, Noida, accused of impersonating a PMO official and deceiving people with false promises of favours in return for money.

Acting on a PMO complaint, the CBI found multiple social media accounts where Parida described himself as P.R.E.S.S. of India Bureau at Parliament House and DG (Confidential Press Information), P.R.E.S.S. of India Bureau, New Delhi. The PMO confirmed that no such official has ever worked in their office, identifying the case as a clear instance of impersonation and misuse of the PMO’s name.

Parida allegedly sought financial benefits from individuals by pretending to represent the PMO. He has been charged under Sections 204 (impersonating a public servant) and 319 (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

CBI’s ongoing probe

The PMO has urged the CBI to expedite all investigations, citing concerns over repeated misuse of its name and the potential harm to its credibility. The cases, which range from fraudulent religious privileges to large-scale financial scams, illustrate the increasing audacity of individuals exploiting public institutions for personal gain.

The CBI has launched detailed probes to identify all those involved, recover defrauded funds, and prevent future impersonation attempts. The investigations reaffirm the agency’s commitment to protecting the integrity of India’s governmental institutions and restoring public faith in their sanctity.