Fake MEA officials held captive at Lucknow hotel; 478 forged IDs recovered

Two individuals posing as senior officials from India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) were detained in Lucknow after allegedly holding hotel staff and guests captive. The incident unfolded around 1 a.m. on August 15 in Gomti Nagar when the men, identified as Abhinav Singh, 29, from Noida, and Shivam Chauhan, 29, from Meerut, entered a hotel. They claimed to be conducting an inspection.

According to the hotel manager's complaint, the accused introduced themselves as high-ranking MEA officials. When hotel staff requested to see their identification and official credentials, the men allegedly responded with abuse and threats. The situation escalated as they reportedly locked the reception gate, confiscated employees' mobile phones, and forcibly dragged two staff members inside by their necks.

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When staff asked them to show their identities and official IDs, the men allegedly abused and threatened them.

Following the incident, police initiated an investigation. During the probe, authorities recovered a significant cache of 478 fake MEA identification cards and other forged documents. Consequently, sections of the Indian Penal Code related to cheating, forgery, and the possession or use of forged documents were added to the First Information Report (FIR) filed against Singh and Chauhan.

This incident echoes a previous case in Uttar Pradesh where a man was arrested for operating a fake embassy for micronations from his Ghaziabad residence. That individual had also claimed diplomatic status and possessed numerous forged documents, including diplomatic registration plates, fake passports, and stamps from various countries, along with a substantial amount of cash and foreign currency.

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They allegedly locked the reception gate, seized employees’ mobile phones and forcibly took two staffers inside after grabbing them by the neck, the complaint stated.