Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Woman Posing As IAS Officer Held; Police Probe Suspected Pakistan Spy Links

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Cidco police arrested a woman posing as an IAS officer with fake IDs and documents from a five-star hotel on Sunday, finding what they described as direct links to the army cantonment in Peshawar, Pakistan. Officers also recovered 11 international numbers, including one linked to the Afghan Embassy, prompting investigating agencies such as the IB and ATS to remain on alert. Police suspect the woman may have been spying for Pakistan. The arrested has been identified as Kalpana Trimbakrao Bhagwat (45), Chinar Garden, Padegaon.

During the investigation, police found she had an affair with Afghan resident Mohammad Ashraf Khil, who works as a businessman in India. She had also contacted Khil’s brother, Galib, in Pakistan.

On Wednesday, PI Atul Yerme, API Yogesh Gaikwad, ASI Subhash Shewale, Deepak Deshmukh, Sandeep Jadhav, Avinash Pandhare and others produced her before the court. Judicial Magistrate (First Class) SD Jawalgekar remanded Bhagwat in police custody for ten days. Public prosecutor Jarina Durrani appeared for the government.

A search of her house led police to a cheque amounting to Rs 19 crore issued by Nikhil Bhakare in the name of Chetan Sundarji Bhanusali, along with other suspicious documents. Police also found Rs32.68 lakh in her bank account. The accused had deleted a large volume of chat history, and officers detected international links through phone numbers from Pakistan. Police said they are technically investigating the matter, which could be connected to national security; hence, national investigation agencies remain on alert.