Conman Kiran Patel, who posed as a PMO official, sent to 15-day judicial custody

Kiran Bhai Patel, the alleged Gujarati conman who posed as a PMO official and got the requisite perks, including bulletproof car and scores of security personnel was sent to 15-day judicial custody, reported India Today. He had three cases registered against him in his home state Gujarat, police said on Friday.

Patel was arrested on March 3 but his deception that tricked security forces of the high security zone that is Jammu and Kashmir has come to light only now. Patel was in police custody until Friday.

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The story of the alleged conman from Gujarat unravelled earlier this month when he visited Kashmir for the third time, each time passing himself off as Additional Director (Strategy and Campaigns) Prime Minister’s Office, New Delhi.

The police have registered three cases under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery and breach of trust, dating back to 2017 in Ahmedabad and Baroda.

Many videos showed Patel roaming around the snow slopes of Gulmarg with a posse of armed security personnel around him and of a convoy of vehicles accompanying him weaving through a Valley town have been circulated widely across social media platforms.

He had even visited the last post at Uri in north Kashmir, posing for pictures at a bridge treated as a Line of Control between India and Pakistan.

According to a police statement, the CID wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police received information on March 2 concerning the arrival of an impersonator at the Hotel Lalit Grand in Srinagar.

According to the statement, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rakesh Balwal dispatched a team to the hotel to investigate what had occurred. He was recognised as Kiran Bhai Patel, the son of Juddesh Bhai Patel, an Ahmedabad resident. He was questioned, but his responses were determined to be suspect, so he was escorted to a nearby police station where he confessed, according to authorities.

He was arrested with ten bogus visiting cards and two mobile phones.

According to authorities, Patel met with Jammu and Kashmir bureaucrats multiple times, selling them visions of increasing apple production, involving youngsters in nation building, and hosting seminars to enhance the horticultural business.

However, everyone asked Patel to come through official channels for the earmarking of funds for the so-called projects being offered by him, officials said.

He has cases filed under various IPC sections for cheating and forgery at the Nishat police station.

During an earlier visit, Patel travelled to Gulmarg, claiming the government had tasked him to look at improvement of hotel facilities in the area, officials said.