Summary of this article
Son impersonated his late father for pension withdrawals.
The fraud spanned 16 years, costing the government Rs 75 lakh.
The case highlights serious weaknesses in the pension verification process.
If incidents of digital arrest involving fraudsters impersonating officials to extort money from unsuspecting seniors have been common, the following is a different version of impersonation. A Bareilly-based man has been impersonating his father for the last 16 years to illegally withdraw his father’s government pension.
The scam cost the government around Rs 75 lakh; however, the full amount was recovered upon discovering the fraud, which allegedly couldn’t have been possible without the connivance of any treasury staff.
Sohan Lal Sharma was a government servant and pensioner. After his death, his son Umesh Bhardwaj kept this secret from the authorities. Year after year, Umesh impersonated his father by submitting false details. The scam lasted for 16 years.
It was caught early this year, when Umesh submitted routine documents, including Aadhaar, PAN, bank passbook, and other necessary documents, for verification by the treasury office.
Officials noticed the issue during document verification. The date of birth on his papers was January 13, 1919, making the pensioner about 105 years old. Yet the man appeared only 55 to 60 years old. This mismatch raised strong suspicions.
After officials questioned the age gap, the man confessed. He admitted to posing as his deceased father to continue receiving the pension. Whether he named any treasury staff in this matter is not known; the department suspects insider involvement.
Notably, the district administration, upon Bhardwaj’s revelation of the fraud, didn’t lodge any first information report (FIR), but initiated recovery from him. The district magistrate (DM) Avinash Singh formed a team on February 15, 2025, to operate under the supervision of the Chief Treasury Officer (CTO) with the objective of recovering the full stolen amount without engaging in prolonged legal battles or court trials.
The administration has been successful in achieving its goal and recovered the full Rs 75 lakh from Bhardwaj, perpetrator of the scam, per the CTO.
Notably, life certificate submission is an annual exercise for beneficiaries to continue receiving a pension. The pensioners have to be present before verifying officials, either in person or a live picture is captured in the online submission of a life certificate. However, despite all the regulations, the Bareilly scam could take place. It is a stark reminder of how sophisticated methods are used and how government machinery is compromised to exploit the system.
Amid the all-pervasive requirement of KYC submission, there are loopholes in the verification process. However, the recovery of the full amount without legal proceedings may be looked at as a success.
