NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a man for allegedly impersonating an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer and cheating unsuspecting people, officials said.
The arrest followed a tip-off received by the Crime Branch about the accused’s movements. He has been identified as Vimal Bhat, also known as Sonu, son of Omkar Nath Bhat, a resident of Raj Nagar Extension in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. According to police, Bhat was apprehended from the Patparganj Industrial Area in east Delhi. Officials said he had earlier been declared a proclaimed offender by a court on August 4, 2025, during trial proceedings in a case registered at Dwarka South police station, and had been absconding since then to evade legal action.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs on January 29, a Crime Branch team laid a trap in the Patparganj Industrial Area. At around 3:25 pm, the suspect was spotted approaching the area and was identified by a secret informer. The team moved in and arrested him without resistance.
Investigators said Bhat had been posing as an officer of the Intelligence Bureau and falsely claiming to be an IPS-rank official. During the earlier probe in a 2017 case, police had recovered a fake IB identity card, a walkie-talkie, police-style accessories, a siren, a loud hailer and a vehicle fitted with “POLICE” stickers. Officials said these were used to project authority, intimidate people and win their confidence.
Police also recovered documents carrying forged government credentials, including an identity card purportedly issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. These recoveries led to the registration of offences related to cheating, forgery and the use of forged documents.
Further verification revealed Bhat’s alleged involvement in several other criminal cases across different states, including a cheque bounce case, a rash driving and death case, and other serious offences involving cheating and impersonation. Following his arrest, he was formally taken into custody under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the full extent of his activities and to identify any additional victims.