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The incident unfolded near Gol Market crossing in the Mahanagar area after tea vendor Veeru Gupta reported that a customer had refused to pay for a bun packet, variously described as a bread packet in police accounts, priced at ₹40. The matter initially appeared routine, prompting a police response to resolve the disagreement.
A routine call that wasn’t routine anymore
Sub-Inspector Aryan Sharma and his patrol team reached the spot expecting a standard public dispute. Instead, they found Shukla engaged in a heated argument with the vendor. The situation escalated almost immediately when he shifted his attention from the complaint to the officers themselves.
According to the FIR, Shukla introduced himself as an IPS officer posted in Noida and began questioning the constables’ conduct, uniform discipline, and decision-making at the scene.
“Where is your cap?” and the demand for salutes
What followed was a series of increasingly assertive claims of authority. Shukla allegedly asked the officers why they were not wearing caps and insisted that they should salute him. He repeatedly projected himself as a senior IPS officer and attempted to direct the conduct of the patrol team.
When asked to produce identification and official credentials, he stated that he did not have his identity card with him and would present it the next day. The absence of any proof immediately raised suspicion among the officers present.
A constable firmly responded that salutes and protocol are contingent on verified identity and proper uniform, not verbal claims. Despite this, Shukla continued to insist on recognition of his supposed rank.
Identity unravels under questioning
As questioning intensified, the situation began to collapse under scrutiny. Police officers pressed him further for details regarding his posting, batch, and service record. Eventually, according to officials, Shukla disclosed his actual identity as Mithilesh Shukla, a resident of Bharat Nagar on Sitapur Road in Lucknow.
He later admitted that he was not an IPS officer and worked as an account executive in an electronics multinational company based in Sector 18, Noida.
Viral video triggers swift action
The confrontation, recorded on video, circulated widely on social media within hours, drawing significant public attention. The clip showed the accused insisting on salutes and questioning police conduct, even as officers demanded identification.
Following the incident, Lucknow Police confirmed on X that a case had been registered at Mahanagar Police Station. The accused was taken into custody and formally arrested.
Charges and legal proceedings
Police said Shukla has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including provisions related to impersonation of a public servant and obstructing government duty. Officials noted that his actions not only involved false claims of authority but also interfered with officers performing their lawful duties.
A ₹40 dispute, a manufactured identity, and a lesson in authority
What remains striking is the disproportion between the trigger and the escalation. A minor ₹40 transaction dispute spiralled into a public spectacle of fabricated authority, ending in arrest and legal action.
For Lucknow Police, the case underscores a familiar but persistent challenge: how quickly routine public disputes can be complicated when false identities and inflated claims of power enter the picture.
