Assam woman held in Delhi for posing as diplomat, using fake number plates ahead of Republic Day

Delhi Police have arrested a woman from Assam for allegedly impersonating a foreign diplomat and using counterfeit diplomatic number plates on a luxury vehicle to gain access to high-security areas of the national capital, days ahead of the 77th Republic Day.
The accused, identified as Dr Ashma Begum, 48, a resident of Guwahati, was detained on January 15 while driving a Toyota Innova fitted with a fake diplomatic registration plate. Police recovered three forged embassy number plates, a mobile phone and sale documents of the vehicle.
The arrest has raised serious security concerns as it was made during a period of heightened vigilance, particularly in sensitive zones of Lutyens’ Delhi.
According to investigators, Begum allegedly used the fake diplomatic identity to move freely through restricted areas, including locations housing central government offices, embassies, consulates and residences of foreign diplomats.
Police sources said she was frequently seen in diplomatic circles in Vasant Vihar, an area known for foreign missions. She allegedly attended embassy-hosted social gatherings to build credibility and often introduced herself as a diplomat. Residents claimed she parked her vehicle inside embassy premises and lived in a rented house in the locality, which she reportedly claimed as her own.
The arrest was made by the Crime Branch’s Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Cell. During preliminary questioning, the accused failed to identify the embassy she claimed to represent or produce any valid diplomatic credentials or vehicle registration documents. She later told investigators that she had purchased the SUV from a foreign embassy in November 2024 but had not completed the registration process.
Police said the woman claimed to be a graduate and projected herself as an all-India secretary of the Republic Party of India (RPI), led by Union Minister Ramdas Athawale. She also claimed links with various sports bodies, said she had worked as a consultant with a foreign embassy, and is currently involved in consultancy for foreign students, particularly African nationals, seeking admission to a Meghalaya-based university.
A case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The accused has been remanded to six days of police custody, and her digital data and activities are being examined to ascertain the duration of the alleged impersonation and identify possible accomplices.
Further investigation is underway.