In a bizarre case spanning four decades, a class VII markscard left behind in a government office in 1982 triggered an elaborate identity theft that ended with a pension dispute and criminal charges. The incident, which took place in Bengaluru and the surrounding districts of Karnataka, involved an imposter who assumed another man's identity to secure a job with the Karnataka Electricity Board (now BESCOM).
The Origin of the Fraud
In 1982, M Rachaiah, a resident of Malavalli in Mandya district, traveled to the Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB) office in Shivamogga to apply for a lineman position. He carried his class VII markscard, the minimum qualification required for the job. However, KEB abruptly canceled the interviews. Disappointed, Rachaiah returned to his village to pursue farming, accidentally leaving his academic certificate behind at the government office.
Shortly after, Bommegowda N of Nagamangala visited the same Shivamogga KEB office looking for work. He discovered Rachaiah's abandoned markscard. Sensing an opportunity, Bommegowda assumed Rachaiah's identity and applied for the vacant lineman's post. KEB hired him on a temporary basis, knowing him only as “Rachaiah from Malavalli.”
Decades of Deception
By 1992, the state government regularized his service. Over the next decade, the imposter climbed the ranks, earning multiple promotions under his stolen name. In 2003, Bommegowda executed a bold legal maneuver to reclaim his true identity. He approached a local court pretending to be Rachaiah M, filed an affidavit stating he was changing his name to Bommegowda N, and successfully altered his official service records.
The scam ran smoothly until 2019, when the real Rachaiah discovered that someone had been using his credentials for decades. Tracking the paper trail to Shivamogga, Rachaiah confronted Bommegowda.
The Village Settlement
Instead of involving law enforcement, the news reached Malavalli village, where local elders organized an informal court and brokered a secret financial agreement: Bommegowda could keep his job and avoid jail. In exchange, Bommegowda had to pay Rachaiah Rs 2-3 lakh annually, starting from 2019. In 2022, Bommegowda retired as a senior mechanic after 40 years of service. He received a lump-sum retirement benefit of Rs 10 lakh. Mediated by a retired BESCOM executive engineer named Subhash, Bommegowda handed over the entire Rs 10 lakh gratuity payout to Rachaiah to keep him quiet.
Greed Breaks the Pact
However, the peace pact shattered in 2024. Rachaiah demanded a 50:50 monthly split of Bommegowda's Rs 65,224 monthly government pension. When Bommegowda refused to share his monthly pension, Rachaiah filed a formal complaint with the BESCOM vigilance wing, which launched an inquiry, verified the 40-year impersonation timeline, and confirmed the fraud. The department has now handed the matter over to the Rajajinagar police, which filed a criminal case against the imposter.
DCP North BS Nemagoud told TOI that as of now, police have registered a criminal case against Bommegowda, Rachaiah, and retired engineer Subhash. “BESCOM vigilance squad has carried out the preliminary investigation and submitted a detailed report. We have to carry out the investigation from basic enquiries like why there was no background verification done while appointing Bommegowda and so on,” he said.
Timeline of the Fraud
- 1982: Rachaiah leaves markscard; Bommegowda steals identity to secure KEB job.
- 1992: Government regularizes Bommegowda’s service under the false identity.
- 2003: Bommegowda legally changes his name back via a court affidavit.
- 2019: The real Rachaiah discovers the scam; village elders broker a cash pact.
- 2022: Bommegowda retires; transfers his Rs 10 lakh gratuity to Rachaiah.
- 2024: Pension dispute breaks the silence; police launch a criminal case.
