AAP Vadodara chief, aide held for impersonating IB officer

VADODARA: Anand Cyber Crime Police on Saturday arrested two persons, including the Vadodara city president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), for allegedly impersonating an intelligence bureau (IB) officer and threatening a party worker over the phone.

The arrests came after a controversy triggered by a social media post last Thursday by former Delhi MLA Durgesh Pathak, who alleged on X that Gujarat Police’s intelligence wing was threatening AAP workers.

The post was later reposted by AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, raising questions about whether party workers were being harassed in the name of IB verification.

Anand superintendent of police Gaurav Jasani said investigators traced the mobile number cited in the social media posts to Nitin Dobariya, a labour contractor originally from Virpur in Rajkot district and currently residing in Anand.

According to police, the investigation revealed that Dobariya had allegedly acted at the behest of Ashok Oza, president of AAP’s Vadodara city unit. The two were acquainted through business dealings.

Investigators alleged that Oza and Dobariya conspired to intimidate AAP worker Keshav Chauhan. On Thursday, Oza allegedly called Dobariya to Vadodara and instructed him to contact Chauhan while falsely claiming to be calling from the “Karelibaug IB office”. During the conversation, Chauhan was allegedly threatened under the guise of an official verification process.

Police said Chauhan had recently been deputed by the party to Vadodara for organisational work. Oza allegedly viewed him as a political rival and sought to create fear and force him out of the city by staging the impersonation call.

The allegations of IB harassment gained traction after being amplified on social media by senior AAP leaders, prompting Anand Cyber Crime Police to launch a detailed probe. Investigators subsequently concluded that the call did not originate from any intelligence agency but was allegedly orchestrated by party functionaries themselves.

Anand cyber crime police have booked the Oza and Dobariya under Sections 61 (2), 204 and 351(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with Section 66D of the Information Technology Act. The charges include criminal conspiracy, impersonation of a public servant, criminal intimidation and cheating by personation using electronic communication.

Investigators alleged that the accused conspired to create the false impression that the call was being made by an IB officer and used that assumed identity to intimidate the victim.The use of a mobile phone to carry out the alleged deception also attracted provisions of the Information Technology Act.