Ahmedabad, June 25 (IANS) A 54-year-old man was arrested at Kalupur Railway Station in Ahmedabad after allegedly falsely claiming to be an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, abusing on-duty police personnel, and obstructing official duty, officials said on Thursday.

Officials said the incident took place on the night of June 22, when the accused, travelling in a taxi and later moving through Kalupur Railway Station, became involved in an altercation with personnel deployed for traffic management and station security.

According to the Railway unit, he allegedly called a police officer, used abusive language, questioned the handling of traffic duties, and claimed that officers were not performing their responsibilities properly.

“When police personnel attempted to calm the situation, the accused allegedly became more aggressive, continued using abusive language, and misbehaved with officers on duty,” an official said.

He is further alleged to have introduced himself as an IPS officer, demanded respect, and asked why he was not being saluted.

Police said he then pushed an officer on the chest with both hands, engaged in a scuffle, and pulled at the uniform of on-duty personnel before threatening transfers and obstructing official work.

He subsequently fled from the scene. Following the incident, a case was registered at Ahmedabad Railway Police Station under sections 132, 204, 296 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police said the accused was traced and detained within hours through a joint operation involving the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of the Western Railway Ahmedabad unit and the Ahmedabad Railway Police, based on CCTV footage and human intelligence inputs.

The accused has been identified as John Daniel, a resident of Prahladnagar, Ahmedabad, and is reported to be engaged in private employment.

Police stated that he is associated with the Student Police Cadet (SPC) programme and had previously been linked with initiatives such as the Life Skill Foundation, which gave him familiarity with police procedures and functioning.

Speaking at a press briefing, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Chetankumar Mundhwa said the accused escalated the situation after being advised by officers, allegedly using abusive language, claiming to be an IPS officer, and insisting that he should have been saluted.

“He introduced himself as John Daniel and said he was an IPS officer, and threatened to transfer the officer. He then assaulted the police personnel,” the officer said.

Police added that the preliminary investigation has not revealed any prior criminal history for the accused, though further inquiries are ongoing to verify all aspects of the case.

They also said the accused’s conduct appeared to be linked to a false projection of authority, allegedly influenced by prior exposure to police-related programmes and interactions.

Officials confirmed that legal proceedings are continuing in the matter.

–IANS

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