Srinagar, Mar 16, KDC: In a high profile case, Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested a man from ‘Gujarat’ allegedly by forged means posing as Additional Director (Strategy & Campaigns) Prime Minister’s Office, New Delhi, in summer capital Srinagar.
Z-plus security cover, a bulletproof Mahindra Scorpio SUV, official accommodation at a five-star hotel and a whole lot more – a conman from Gujarat managed to take the Jammu and Kashmir administration and its security structure for a ride, posing as a senior official from the Prime Minister’s Office New Delhi.
Reliable sources told Srinagar based news agency Kashmir Dot Com that top officers of Jammu and Kashmir police after getting specific information regarding a man identified as Kiran Patel son of Jagdesh Patel posing as Additional Director (Strategy & Campaigns) PMO, New Delhi, swiftly acted and arrested the man in summer capital Srinagar.
Accordingly, an FIR no 19 of 2023 was registered by Srinagar police in Police Station Nishat, a copy of which is in possession with news agency Kashmir Dot Com, reads “on 02-03-2023 a reliable information received by Police Station Nishat has revealed that a fraudster namely Kiran Bhai Patel son of Jagdesh Bhai Patel resident of Gujarat has by virtue of criminal intention indulged in activities within the jurisdiction of this police station and other parts of Kashmir valley and by employing high degree of forged means. Kiran Bhai has impersonated himself as senior government official of India.”
“The said individual, by resorting to cheating, forgery and impersonation has duped gullible people and also intentionally induced people to do and also to omit to do activities, under a well-knit plan for securing monetary as well as material benefits,’ reads the FIR.
As per reports, Patel who by forged means was able to get security from the Jammu and Kashmir police and was staying at Hotel Lalit in Room no 1107. The ‘fraudster’ had visited multiple places in Kashmir including Doodpatri in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. At Doodpathri the ‘fraudster’ was accompanied by a Tehsildar rank officer. He has also visited at LoC and Gulmarg in Baramulla district.
If sources are to be believed Kiran Patel who himself posed as senior official of government of India have also met at least two Deputy Commissioners during his visit in the valley. He was arrested by police from a five-star hotel in Srinagar for posing as Additional Director in the PMO and enjoying security cover besides other hospitality from the UT government.
Patel claims to have a PhD from Commonwealth University, Virginia, an MBA from IIM Trichy, as well as an M Tech in Computer Science and BE in computer engineering.
In one of the videos, he is seen walking through snow at Doodhpathri in Budgam with paramilitary guards. He also posed for a photo in front of the clock tower Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
On Twitter, Patel is followed by BJP Gujarat general secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela. He even posted several videos and pictures of his visits in Kashmir surrounded by paramilitary personnel.
Today, a local court in Srinagar has sent Kiran Patel to judicial custody.
The fraudster as per FIR has been booked under section 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC at police station Nishat and further investigation into the matter is going on. (KDC)
