Jaipur: After nearly a year on the run, city police, Thursday, arrested a 33-year-old woman who was impersonating a sub-inspector and managed to live undetected for months inside the Rajasthan Police Academy (RPA), fooling even senior officers with her elaborate disguise.SHO (Shastri Nagar) Mahendra Yadav said the accused, identified as Mona Bugalia, was arrested from Sikar by a team from Shastri Nagar police station. She was on the run since 2023, after an FIR was registered against her for impersonating a police officer and regularly visiting the RPA campus under the pretext of official duties.Police said Bugalia meticulously created a convincing identity—complete with summer and winter police uniforms, multiple nameplates, a forged ID card, and a regulation police belt. “She was frequently seen taking photographs with IPS, RPS officers, and inspectors at the academy, projecting herself as a genuine sub-inspector posted at the RPA,” said an official.Bugalia reportedly lived in comfort within the academy premises, using her fake credentials and uniform to gain respect, access, and mobility. During her stay, she is said to have learnt the workings of the police system in detail—enough to help her stay one step ahead of law enforcement for several months.Her charade ended after police received a tip-off about her presence in Sikar. A team was immediately sent and apprehended her without incident. She was brought to Jaipur for questioning.“She was also threatening individuals in Sikar using WhatsApp calls, often flaunting her fake identity to intimidate them,” a police officer added.A search of her rented room in Shastri Nagar last year yielded three full sets of police uniforms (both summer and winter), forged badges, ID cards, nameplates, and other paraphernalia used to maintain her impersonation.Police said Bugalia was under surveillance since the case was registered in Sept 2023 but managed to evade arrest by frequently changing her location and disguises. She is now in custody, and investigations are ongoing to determine how she accessed the RPA premises and whether she received help from within the system.
