Police said the accused had dined at the hotel but claimed he had no money to pay the bill and that his personal assistant would arrive within two hours to make the payment.
Published: September 3, 2026, 2:55 PM IST
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‘My PA will pay’: Man posing as IAS officer walks out of five-star hotel in Indore without paying bill; Arrested | Image: ANI/ Representational
Madhya Pradesh police have arrested a 28-year-old man who allegedly pretended to be an IAS officer and left a five-star hotel without paying for a party he had hosted in IndoreThe accused, identified as Himanshu Panchal from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, had organised a party for 16 people at the hotelWhen it was time to pay the bill, Panchal allegedly claimed that he was an IAS officer and used his supposed position to avoid making the payment.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Parag Saini said Panchal told hotel employees that his personal assistant would pay the bill within two hoursHe then left the hotel without settling the amount.
The hotel later approached the police, following which a team went to Panchal’s rented house in the Lasudia police station area.
Police recovered a black nameplate bearing the words “IAS Raj Soni, District Collector” and a photo frame carrying “Satyamev Jayate” from his rented house.
During questioning, Panchal was unable to provide any document or other proof showing that he was an IAS officer.
Police arrested him on Wednesday and registered a case under Section 204 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with impersonating a public servant.
Officials also found that Panchal already faces a cheating case in GujaratPolice are now carrying out a detailed investigation to find out whether he has been involved in any other similar incidents.
