After he duped families in Dehradun & Ghaziabad posing as their lost son, imposter arrested

The man, who has now been identified as Indraraj Rawat (38), is a resident of Jaitsar district in Rajasthan, said police, adding that he had similarly duped many families by posing as their missing child.

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 7, 2024 09:34 PM IST

Ghaziabad ‘Monu’ with Asha Sharma in Dehradun (left) and ‘Bhim’ with his family in Ghaziabad. (Express)

Days after it came to light that one man had approached two families — one in Dehradun and the other Ghaziabad — claiming to be their long-lost son, the Khoda police Friday arrested Bhim Singh alias Monu Sharma on charges of duping both families.

The man, who has now been identified as Indraraj Rawat (38), is a resident of Jaitsar district in Rajasthan, said police, adding that he had similarly duped many families by posing as their missing child.

After the Ghaziabad family was reunited with their “son Bhim Singh” on November 28 – kidnapped 31 years ago as a nine-year-old – the Ghaziabad Police had last Saturday (November 30) received the news of a similar case from their counterparts in Uttarakhand. In July, a man had appeared in Dehradun, claiming to be Monu Sharma, the long-lost son of Asha Sharma (50), whose son was also kidnapped when he was 16 years old in 2008.

Tularam from Ghaziabad, whom Bhim had claimed was his father, had also filed a complaint with the police on December 1, alleging that his long-lost son was behaving suspiciously. “The man that my family and I had identified as our son Bhim Singh alias Pannu has been behaving differently. He has been living in my house for the last five days as my son but I have doubts about his conduct and behaviour,” Tularam had told the police.

Following this, the Khoda police station in Ghaziabad had called the suspect for questioning before detaining him on Sunday. He was arrested on Friday.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Khoda police, Anand Prakash Mishra, said, “Indraraj had initially told us that his name was Raju and that he was kidnapped 30 years ago. He had claimed that he was held hostage by Sai Ram, a herder in Jailsalmer.” He had alleged that he was made to rear sheep and cows as a bonded labourer.
“He alleged that a truck driver rescued him and helped him reach Delhi,” Mishra added. Indraraj had then said that the truck driver helped him reach Khoda police station.

After he reached the police station on November 22, the police released his photograph on social media and newspapers for identification, the SHO said.

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Following this, Tularam’s wife Leelavati identified him as her son Bhim, who was kidnapped in 1993 while he was returning from school. A mole on his chest, a cut mark on forehead and the shape of his head helped Leelavati identify him as her son, said police.

DCP (Trans-Hindon) Dasarath Nimish Patil said, “During questioning, he kept on telling us that he was Bhim. But following repeated questioning, he said that his real name was Indraraj, a resident of Jasad Bugiya village in Jaitsar.”

“He told us that when he was a child, he had started committing petty thefts in the neighbourhood, due to which his father Chunnilal Meghwal and other family members severed their ties with him and threw him out of their house in 2005,” he added.

The police said that as per Indraraj, he stayed at his distant relative Hetram’s house for three months in 2020 and stole important documents as well as jewellery before fleeing.

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“An FIR was registered at Rawatsar police station in Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan, after which the stolen goods and documents were recovered from Indraraj’s possession,” the officer said.

The officer added that last June, Indraraj posed as Pankaj Kumar, the missing son of a family that resided at Jhigar Chhoti village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. He stayed with the family for around two months. “Then he left without informing anyone,” said Patil. The police added that Indraraj, about four years ago, also stayed at one Asharam’s house at Lalgadia village in Rajasthan, posing as his missing son.

In July 2024, Indraraj arrived at Kapil Dev Sharma and Asha’s house in Dehradun, claiming to be their son who had gone missing in 2008. Posing as Monu, he stayed there for about four months before arriving in Delhi “to look for better opportunities”.

“He had been living with different families at Bathinda in Punjab, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan as well as Hisar and Sirsa in Haryana, posing as their missing son. We are investigating his involvement in other crimes,” said the DCP.

Neetika Jha

Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations. Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities: 1. Environment & Public Safety "Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans. "Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people. "At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital. "Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents. 2. Crime & Legal Developments "'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court in Akhlaq lynching case" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering a critical courtroom hearing where the court questioned the UP government's petition to withdraw charges against the accused. "After losing money in stock market, bank employee in Ghaziabad withdraws Rs 64 lakh from customers' accounts" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative piece on internal bank fraud and the risks of modern digital embezzlement. "Woman shot dead by partner in Noida: Three days on, accused still on the run" (Dec 2, 2025): Tracking a high-profile domestic violence and murder case in Central Noida. 3. Human Interest & Features "'Had tears in my eyes': Army men walk bride down the aisle 20 years after father died in terror attack" (Dec 2, 2025): A moving story about soldiers from a Punjab Grenadiers unit fulfilling a father's duty for his daughter. "How a Zepto delivery man heard a cry — and saved two kids dumped in Noida drain" (Dec 2025): A viral human-interest story highlighting individual heroism in the city. Signature Style Neetika is recognized for her meticulous follow-up on local tragedies. Whether it is a massive pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway or the ongoing construction of the Jewar (Noida) Airport, she focuses on systemic lapses and the safety of commuters. Her crime reporting often explores the psychological motives behind "crimes of passion" and the rising trend of financial cyber-fraud in the Ghaziabad-Noida belt. ... Read More

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