A case of government document fraud has come to light in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh. Fund approval orders were prepared in a government department using a forged official’s signature. Upon discovery, the official filed a police complaint. Kalyani Gupta, the AC to DC posted in Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti district, has filed a police complaint alleging that a government letter has been forged using her name and signature. The FIR in the case was registered at the Keylong police station in Lahaul-Spiti district, but since the case is related to Shimla, it has been transferred to the Chhota Shimla police station.
Complainant Kalyani Gupta is currently posted as AC to DC in Keylong and also holds the additional duties of Project Officer, ITDP, and SDM, Lahaul. She assumed this position on July 7, 2025. Prior to this, she served as Deputy CEO of the Himachal Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Mission in the Rural Development Department, Shimla, from June 2022 to July 5, 2025. According to the complainant, the incident came to light on September 27th, when the Director of the Rural Development Department informed him that the department had received an “approval order” bearing his signature. This document is dated September 2025. However, it is clear that by that time, Kalyani Gupta had transferred from the Rural Development Department and taken charge in Keylong. Thus, her signature on the document appeared suspicious and illegal. When Kalyani Gupta examined the document, she discovered that her name and signature had been forged. This alleged fraudulent document was prepared with the intention of providing undue benefits to a businessman or individual and misappropriating government funds. It is suspected that this is not limited to just one document, but that more fraudulent documents may have been created. The police have filed an FIR under sections 318(4), 335, 336(1), 336(2), 336(3), 336(4), 340(1), and 340(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Forgery of government documents is considered a very serious offense, as it poses the risk of misappropriation of government funds. Therefore, the police immediately registered a case and launched an investigation. It is currently unclear who was involved in the forgery and who was directly targeted.
A police officer stated that all aspects are being thoroughly investigated. The police are also investigating whether the perpetrators have previously created similar documents.
