Man posing as Nition Gadkari’s OSD runs into him at VIP lounge in Nagpur
A suave man with a well-groomed beard and hair brushed back arrive sat the counter of a private airline in Nagpur airport, says he is Union roads minister Nitin Gadkari’s officer on special duty and demands front-row seats.
He gets what he asked for, leaves a visiting card at the Go Air counter and walks off with his wife to the VIP lounge.
Minutes later, his“boss” walks into catch a flight from his hometown to New Delhi to attend Parliament’ s monsoon session. The lounge manager informs Gadkari’s personal assistant that the OSD, 31-year-old Jesus Waghade, is there too.
What? Who? The bluff was called.
“The lounge manager was sus- picious and asked the minister’s PA if he knows the OSD. Security was called when the PA said he doesn’ t know them an ,” an officer with the CISF said.
Wag ha de is a physician impersonating the minister’ s O SD— perhaps for the VIP frills, if not for anything else, which is under investigation. Airports and airlines offer lounge access and priority at check-in counters and security queues to VIPs.
They also get loaders to assist them with their luggage.
The incident happened on July 31. “It was around 8am, the man got his boarding pass without standing in the queue as he intro- du ced himself as the O SD to Ga dk ari. Around the same time Gadkari reached the lounge to catch his Indigo flight to Delhi,” the CISF officer said. Waghade and his wife were booked for a flight to Mumbai. “We filed a police complaint in Nagpur. It is not clear if he mis used any official document or letter head, but that is for police to investigate,” said an official with the minister. When airport security confronted W ag ha de, he admitted his mistake. The impersonator was allowed to fly but he might be arrested after his return to Nagpur.