Man from Gujarat posing as PMO functionary arrested in Srinagar
Srinagar: A man, posing as a top official of the Prime Minister’s Office, has been arrested in Srinagar, police informed Thursday.
Kiran Patel, belonging to Gujarat, was picked up by J&K Police from a 5-star hotel in Srinagar where he had been staying.
“Police got suspicious and started gathering information about the accused who turned out to be an imposter posing as Additional Director (Strategy and Campaign) in the PMO at New Delhi.
“The imposter had forged documents to deceive people in the security wing, who provided him security cover besides other hospitality during his stay here,” a source said, adding that an FIR was registered against him and he was immediately arrested.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that he has managed to dupe gullible people for monetary and other material benefits. The FIR has been registered in Nishat Police Station of Srinagar and further investigation is going on,” the source said.
According to court documents, Kiran Patel was on his third visit to the Kashmir Valley and was subsequently nabbed by police officials on March 03.
Patel had claimed he had been given a mandate by the government to identify buyers for apple orchards in south Kashmir and a couple of IAS officers were in awe of him as he had been dropping names of high-ranking bureaucrats and politicians in the national capital.
He was produced before a court here last evening for extension of his police remand. A case under relevant sections of cheating and forgery was registered against him on March 02 and he was arrested the next day.
During his earlier visit, he had travelled to tourist hotspot Gulmarg claiming that the government had tasked him to look for improvement of hotel facilities in the area.
Security agencies got suspicious after he landed at the airport on March 02 as there was no information of any VIP movement.
An attempt was made to stop him at the airport but this could not fructify as he had already stepped into a bullet-proof car on the way to the hotel.
After his questioning and subsequent arrest, security officials recovered forged identity cards from his possession, the documents said. (With additional inputs from PTI)
