Fake IAS officer case: Land dealer arrested for sending Rs 7.85 lakh to Kalpana

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Police arrested 38-year-old land dealer Dattatray Shete from Shrigonda for sending Rs 7.85 lakh to IAS officer Kalpana Bhagwat. Investigations suggest Shete provided Kalpana with a fake UPSC results list in 2021. Authorities say the case is primarily a fraud matter, with no evidence of anti-national activity.

Kalpana was taken into custody on November 23 from a hotel on Jalna Road. Police found that she had been in contact with her Afghan boyfriend, Mohammad Ashraf Gill, for six months. The discovery of fake UPSC lists and certificates, along with phone numbers linked to Ashraf’s brother in Peshawar, drew the attention of central investigative agencies. Kalpana remained in police custody for 13 days and was produced in court on Saturday, where police requested extended custody. Her lawyer, Adv. Abhaysingh Bhosle, challenged all claims, and the court sent her to judicial custody.

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No evidence of anti-national activity

Adv. Bhosle argued that the police submitted eight points to justify extended custody, but none were supported by investigative findings. Financial transactions can be verified through audits without detaining Kalpana. So far, police have found no evidence of anti-national activity, and Bhosle said the investigation was based on outdated and irrelevant claims.

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Who is Shete?

Shete, a land dealer from Shrigonda, met Kalpana in 2021. He is suspected of supplying the fake UPSC list and other documents. A few months ago, he sent her Rs 7.85 lakh, of which she returned Rs 1.5 lakh recently. Police are investigating the transaction. Shete underwent surgery eight days ago; during Saturday’s court appearance, his hand still had an IV line. He had maintained contact with Kalpana under false identities, and she resigned from her university job based on trust in him. Shete caused a commotion during his arrest.

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Family takes shelter at city prayer hall

Shete’s family, newly arrived in the city, is staying at a local prayer hall. Previously, Shete worked in a central office in Delhi as a contractual employee, sometimes as a home guard and sometimes as a driver. He registered the name “OSD to Home Minister” on a truck call and edited his photo using AI. Using this identity, he brought people to the office, with friends encouraging him to pose as an officer.