A case of fraud and attempted extortion has come to light, involving the misuse of the name and photograph of Uttarakhand IAS officer and Principal Secretary Dr R Meenakshi Sundaram. The accused allegedly impersonated Sundaram to demand money from the public and government officials.
This is the third such incident in the past year involving impersonation of senior IAS officers, including current Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan.
According to the police, Sundaram lodged a formal complaint with Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Singh, stating: “Some unknown person was using my photograph on his WhatsApp profile and asking for money from the public and other government officials.”
Following the complaint, the SSP initiated an investigation to identify and apprehend the culprit.
Dehradun police confirmed that an unidentified individual had used Sundaram’s photograph as a WhatsApp display picture while posing as the officer to solicit money. This forced Sundaram to lodge a formal complaint.
Notably, three such cases involving the impersonation of IAS officers have emerged in the past year.
In August 2024, unidentified individuals in Haridwar allegedly extorted money from real estate businessmen by impersonating the then Additional Chief Secretary (now Chief Secretary) Anand Bardhan. Bardhan had also reported the matter to Dehradun police, but the outcome remains unclear.
Following that incident, two more impersonation cases targeting Dr. Sundaram have surfaced. Police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing and expressed confidence in resolving the matter soon.