Sitamarhi: These days, a hut-like house situated in Sunder Nagar, Ward No. 37 of Mehsaul police station area of Sitamarhi, Bihar, has become the center of discussion in the entire area. This is the house where Lalit Kishore Ram alias Gaurav Kumar Singh was born – the man who spread the word across the country by pretending to be an IAS officer and committed a fraud worth crores. As soon as the media team reached the village, a crowd of people gathered. Someone was telling the story of his poverty, while someone else was telling the story of his deceit. Afsharana’s glitter outside and broken roof inside, misery and deprivation – this story brought alive the proverb “There is no bhang in the house, there is music outside.”
According to the villagers, Lalit was brilliant from the beginning. Studied from local government middle school Manguraha till eighth standard and was always ahead in studies. His father used to run the family by polishing shoes, who died about five years ago. At the age of just 14, Lalit left home and started studying and coaching by living in a rented room. In the beginning, he used to charge Rs 30 from the children, taught the poor children for free, distributed copy-books and honored the meritorious students. Using his social worker image as a shield, he started committing fraud. Gradually Lalit made his name and identity.
He changed from Lalit to Gaurav Kumar Singh and started calling himself an IAS officer. He left no stone unturned to show himself as a real IAS through official language, visiting cards, name plates and government vehicles. People used to believe it after seeing all the pomp and show. It is said that before 2022, he had also worked as a clerk in a police station. During this time, he took advantage of the similarity in name and appearance of a real IAS officer posted in Sitamarhi. Participation in programs related to the education department, traveling in officials’ vehicles, all this further strengthened his fake status.
The technical mastermind of this entire fraud is said to be his brother-in-law Abhishek Kumar, who is a software engineer by profession. Abhishek used to prepare fake IDs, government letters, tenders and documents, while Lalit used to introduce himself to him by calling him “Steno Babu”. In the year 2017, the fraud network started from Banka district. By opening coaching under the name “Aditya Super-50”, he gave the promise of free education to poor and brilliant students. Even examinations were conducted in government schools through purported letters from the Education Department, due to which people’s confidence was completely shaken. When the trust became stronger, huge amounts of money started being collected in the name of jobs, B.Ed and college admissions. An estimated fraud of more than Rs 2 crore is estimated in Banka district alone.
Lalit also absconded with about Rs 10 lakh from the landlord on the night of 1 May 2023. The investigation also revealed that he prepared fake documents using AI technology. He had many controversies in his personal life also. Allegations of relationships, chats, pregnancy with many women and a case of marrying a girl after elopement from Sitamarhi’s Janaki temple are also registered.
The opinion of the village people is divided. Some consider him a swindler, while others still mention his talent. Villager Ravindra Kumar says that he himself taught him by donating Rs 500, people from the block and education department also helped. Many villagers say that if he had got the right guidance and opportunity, perhaps he would not have gone on the wrong path. The school secretary and neighbors described his behavior as normal and disciplined. He says that he was engrossed in studies and had the passion to move ahead since childhood.
After his arrest from Gorakhpur, now the layers of dark deeds of Lalit alias Gaurav are being revealed one by one. Investigative agencies are busy searching for his entire network, associates and the amount of fraud. His mother Johari Devi is still living in a hut by working as a labourer. This case is not just the fraud of one person, but is a mirror to the flaws present in the system, where even talent can take the path of crime if there is no proper guidance amidst talent, poverty and dreams.
