Bengal Police in Delhi to quiz woman who posed as PMO official at Nabanna
Synopsis
A woman who talked her way into West Bengal's secretariat by posing as a PMO official has been tracked down to Delhi within hours and detained — raising sharp questions about Nabanna's visitor authentication system and whether a larger organised network is at play.
Key Takeaways
Akanksha Vidyarthi allegedly entered Nabanna , West Bengal's state secretariat, posing as a PMO official on Wednesday, 30 September 2026 .
She questioned State PWD officials about departmental functioning before fleeing after arousing suspicion.
A written complaint was filed by PWD with Howrah City Police after her false identity was confirmed.
Howrah City Police tracked her to Delhi and reached the national capital on Wednesday night in coordination with Delhi Police .
Vidyarthi is currently under Delhi Police detention and is being interrogated by the visiting Howrah City Police team.
Investigators are probing whether she was part of an organised gang .
A special team of Howrah City Police, operating under the West Bengal Police, arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, 1 October 2026, to interrogate a woman who allegedly entered Nabanna — West Bengal's state secretariat in Mandirtala, Kolkata — by falsely posing as an official from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The woman, identified as Akanksha Vidyarthi, is currently under detention by Delhi Police, according to state police sources.
How the Deception Unfolded
Akanksha Vidyarthi reportedly secured a prior appointment and visited the State Public Works Department (PWD), housed within the Nabanna complex, on Wednesday. Presenting herself as a PMO official, she questioned PWD officers about the department's functioning. A section of the officials grew suspicious of her identity, and sensing their unease, she swiftly exited the Nabanna premises before she could be formally challenged.
After internally verifying that she had furnished a false identity, the PWD filed a written complaint with Howrah City Police. By that point, Vidyarthi had already boarded a flight back to Delhi.
Police Response and Detention
Howrah City Police received information about the woman's location in Delhi on Wednesday evening. Acting swiftly, the investigating officers contacted their counterparts in Delhi Police and reached the national capital the same night. Delhi Police placed Akanksha Vidyarthi under detention, and the Howrah City Police team has since begun interrogating her.
Investigators are working to establish the precise motive behind her infiltration of the state secretariat under a false PMO identity — an act that raises serious questions about the security protocols at one of West Bengal's most sensitive administrative buildings.
Organised Gang Angle Under Probe
According to a state police officer, investigators are not treating this as an isolated incident of impersonation. They are actively probing whether Akanksha Vidyarthi was operating as part of a larger, organised network. 'The investigating officers are not taking the matter lightly and suspect that some organised gang might be behind the woman,' the officer said. Authorities are gathering intelligence on her associations and any prior instances of similar conduct.
Security Implications for Nabanna
The breach has spotlighted vulnerabilities in the visitor verification system at Nabanna, the nerve centre of the West Bengal government. That a visitor could secure an appointment and enter a sensitive department by invoking the PMO's name — without real-time identity authentication — points to a procedural gap. This comes amid heightened political tensions between the Centre and the West Bengal government, lending an additional layer of sensitivity to the episode. Authorities have not yet commented on whether entry protocols at Nabanna will be reviewed.
The investigation is ongoing, with Howrah City Police expected to seek formal custody of the accused to conduct further questioning in Kolkata.
Point of View
Secure a formal appointment, and walk into a sensitive state department without real-time credential verification is a procedural failure that security agencies will have to answer for. The organised-gang angle, if proven, would raise the stakes further: it would suggest a systematic effort to extract intelligence on state government functioning — at a time when Centre-state relations in Bengal are already fraught. Investigators must establish not just who Akanksha Vidyarthi is, but what information she sought, who tasked her, and whether other government buildings across states have been similarly probed.
NationPress
1 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Akanksha Vidyarthi and what did she allegedly do?
Akanksha Vidyarthi is a woman who allegedly entered Nabanna, the West Bengal state secretariat in Kolkata, by posing as an official from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). She visited the State PWD on Wednesday, questioned officials about the department's functioning, and fled when officials grew suspicious of her identity.
Where is Akanksha Vidyarthi now?
She is currently under detention by Delhi Police. A special team from Howrah City Police travelled to Delhi on Wednesday night and has been interrogating her there.
How did West Bengal Police track her down so quickly?
Howrah City Police received information about her location in Delhi on Wednesday evening, shortly after the PWD filed its complaint. Officers immediately coordinated with Delhi Police and reached the national capital the same night.
Is an organised gang suspected to be involved?
Yes, investigating officers have said they are not ruling out the possibility that Akanksha Vidyarthi was part of a larger organised network. Authorities are gathering information on her associations and any prior incidents of similar impersonation.
What does this incident reveal about Nabanna's security?
The episode highlights a gap in visitor identity verification at Nabanna, as the woman was able to secure a prior appointment and enter a sensitive department by falsely invoking the PMO's name. It is not yet clear whether entry protocols at the secretariat will be revised following the incident.
