SIT to probe case of fake IAS official at academy

A special investigation team was constituted on Thursday to probe the case of a woman allegedly masquerading as an IAS official at the lal Bahadur Shastri National Administrative Academy in Mussoorie, officials said.

However, the woman maintained that the academy's deputy director knew she wasn't an IAS probationer.

The Uttarakhand government has formed a special investigation team (SIT), headed by a woman police official, which will probe how Ruby Chowdhary managed to stay at the academy for months.

Chowdhary has said deputy director Saurabh Jain knew she was not an IAS probationer. She also told mediapersons that Jain facilitated her gate pass to the academy.

Director General of Police (DGP) B.S. Siddhu said the case is being probed "with all the seriousness it deserves".

Chowdhary has accused Jain, 38, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official from the Kerala cadre, of seeking a bribe of Rs.20 lakh to get her a librarian's job.

She said that when President Pranab Mukherjee visited the academy, she was in the group photograph, hinting at a serious breach of security.

Chowdhary also alleged that Jain had asked her to keep quiet and not report the matter to the media in lieu of Rs.5 crore.

The matter came to light when the advance security detail of the president, who is scheduled to visit the academy April end, scrutinized the list of IAS probationers residing at the campus. It was found that Chowdhary was living on the campus for the last six months as an IAS probationer.

Jain is currently on deputation to the hill state. He has served in various capacities in Uttarakhand and joined as the deputy director of the academy in September 2013.