A Tesla, a fake IAS card and a house full of secrets: How a ‘Government of India’ sticker led police to a bigger story

A five-storey independent house stands out in Bihar's Khagaria, Khagaria's Jamalpur locality. Among the unusual sights is a white Tata Safari and a black Tesla, both boasting a "Govt of India" sticker. Upon police questioning, the man introduced himself as Mukesh Kumar Gupta, claiming to be an IAS officer and Chief Security Officer with the Central Vigilance Commission.

However, his identity card proved to be a fake, and he was subsequently arrested for impersonation, contempt, cheating, and forgery under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The investigation revealed that Gupta had been running a fraud racket for years, posing as an IAS officer to spread false rumors and assert dominance over the public. During the search of his sprawling residence, police recovered five iPhones, an Apple MacBook, an iPad, a 4TB hard disk, an 11-camera CCTV system, twenty credit cards, sixteen cheque books, eight debit cards, two Priority Pass cards, 32 bottles of foreign liquor, and 30 cans of beer.

The discovery of barasingha horns (swamp deer) prompted additional charges under the Jammu and Kashmir Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1978.

Gupta claimed his brother Ajit Kumar, who lived in London, occasionally sent him branded foreign liquor. However, he failed to provide valid documents for the alcohol, leading to further charges under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act. Police suspect that Gupta’s properties and financial dealings may be linked to fraud or corruption, with the Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit assisting in the investigation.

Authorities received tips about Gupta’s activities, leading to the seizure of his assets and ongoing inquiries into his wider criminal network.