/ground-report/media/post_banners/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Source-Twitter-13-5.jpg)
Kiran Patel, who claimed to be an Additional Director (Strategy and Campaign) in the Prime Minister's Office, was arrested by the Srinagar Police while he was visiting Jammu & Kashmir and holding meetings with officers.
He has been booked under sections 419, 420, 468, and 471. Patel was provided with PSOs and an escort, and he stayed in room number 1107 of the five-star hotel Lalit.
/ground-report/media/post_attachments/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/image-104.png "publive-image")
He also visited the Clock tower in Lal Chowk of Srinagar under tight security and visited Srinagar and Gulmarg.
The First Information Report (FIR) states that the accused, through deceitful means, falsification of documents, and impersonation, has cheated innocent people and convinced them to carry out certain activities or refrain from doing so, all as part of a well-planned strategy to obtain financial and other advantages.
Kiran Patel, the alleged perpetrator, has been remanded to judicial custody by a Srinagar court today. The investigation into the case is ongoing.
Who is Kiran Patel?
Kiran Patel, a resident of Gujarat and son of Jagdesh Patel, has been identified as a fraudster who posed as an Additional Director in the Prime Minister's Office.
Patel has claimed to possess multiple academic degrees, including a Ph.D. from Commonwealth University in Virginia, an MBA from IIM Trichy, an M Tech in Computer Science, and a BE in computer engineering.
Kiran Patel and his brother Manish were previously arrested by the police in 2019 for allegedly cheating people of Rs. 78 lakh in Ahmedabad.
Patel travelled to several places in Kashmir
As per reports, the impostor named Patel travelled to several places in Kashmir, including Doodpatri in the Budgam district of central Kashmir, where he was accompanied by an SDM rank officer.
/ground-report/media/post_attachments/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/image-105.png "publive-image")
Some IAS officers were reportedly impressed by Patel as he dropped names of high-ranking bureaucrats and political leaders in New Delhi. Patel claimed that he had been given a mandate by the government to find buyers for apple orchards in south Kashmir.
He managed to get special security and vehicles from the Jammu and Kashmir police while visiting multiple places in the Valley and duping many people.
The imposter, as per reports, had visited several places in Kashmir, including Doodpatri in Budgam district, where he was accompanied by an SDM rank officer. To deceive people and acquire security, he had allegedly forged documents.
The security agencies became suspicious of Kiran Patel when he arrived at the airport on March 2, as there was no prior information regarding any VIP movement.
An attempt was made to stop him at the airport, but he had already entered a bulletproof car and left for the hotel.
Following his interrogation and subsequent arrest, the security officials found fake identity cards in his possession, as per court documents.
Keep Reading
- Part 03: Fake NGO duped it’s employees too, alleges staff
- Groundreport Impact: Govt. directs Police to register case against fraudulent NGO
Follow Ground Report for Climate Change and Under-Reported issues in India. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Koo App, Instagram, Whatsapp and YouTube. Write us at [email protected].
