A man named Arpit Singh in Uttar Pradesh managed to work in six different government hospitals at the same time for nearly nine years, The Times of India reported.
When the Uttar Pradesh health department carried out an online verification drive, officials discovered that these “six Arpits” were not one person but a group of impostors.
Using the same identity details, they held X-ray technician posts across multiple districts and together pocketed nearly Rs 4.5 crore before the fraud was exposed.
How the fraud worked
The story began in 2016, when the UP Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) recruited 403 X-ray technicians. Among them was the real Arpit Singh from Agra, listed at serial number 80. But soon, six more men appeared across different districts, all with the same name, father’s name, and date of birth.
Using forged Aadhaar details and fake appointment letters that mirrored the original, they joined service in Balrampur, Farrukhabad, Banda, Rampur, Amroha, and Shamli.
Each impersonator drew an average monthly salary of Rs 69,595. That worked out to around Rs 8.35 lakh a year per district. Over nine years, one fake employee pocketed over Rs 75 lakh. Across six districts, the total swelled to almost Rs 4.5 crore money siphoned off from government payrolls.
The fraud came to light only during the government’s Manav Sampada portal registration drive, which flagged multiple employees with identical details. By then, the impostors had vanished, shutting their homes and switching off phones.
Investigation and fallout
The first complaint was filed on September 8 at Wazirganj police station by Dr Ranjana Khare, director (paramedical). An FIR has been lodged against the impersonators, and investigators are trying to track them down. Officials admit that recovering the stolen salaries will be extremely difficult, as the fraudsters have disappeared.
The recruitment was conducted under the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav. Now, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered strict action and directed deputy CM and health minister Brajesh Pathak to clean up the mess. “Posts held by fake recruits will be declared vacant and adjusted in new recruitments,” Pathak said, He added that the departmental staff who approved forged documents are also being probed.
A larger pattern
The scam is not limited to Arpit Singh. Investigators have already found more examples of duplication. In Hardoi, at least six people joined service as Ankit Singh. Of these, two are missing and one has been dismissed. In Mainpuri, two men with the same name, father’s name, and year of birth, both called Ankur Mishra, were recruited in different districts.
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