Overview
- The dispute began over an unpaid bun and tea at a Gol Market stall that prompted the shop owner to call police on the night of June 13.
- When a patrol team arrived the man repeatedly claimed to be an IPS officer posted in Noida and demanded that uniformed constables salute him, a confrontation captured on video and posted on X.
- After a fresh complaint on June 15 police brought the suspect to Mahanagar station where he was identified as Mithilesh Shukla, initially named in some reports as Mithilesh Gupta, and admitted he worked at an electronics MNC in Noida.
- Lucknow Police arrested Shukla and registered charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for assaulting a public servant (BNS 132), obstructing a public servant (BNS 221) and falsely impersonating a public servant (BNS 204), with further legal action under way.
- Officials and coverage point to the role of social media in speeding public scrutiny and show why impersonating police ranks is treated seriously because it can intimidate officers and undermine public trust.