Ashish Ranjan
Kiran Patel posing as PMO official sent to 15-day judicial custody: A day after his detention by police in Jammu and Kashmir, the alleged Gujarati conman Kiran Patel, who was posing as an official of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), was sent to judicial custody for 15 days.
The man, who was masquerading as a ‘additional secretary’ at the Centre, claimed that the government had tasked him with finding buyers for apple orchards in south Kashmir.The man was apprehended by Jammu and Kashmir officials from a five-star hotel for posing as a “additional secretary” at the centre and enjoying security protection and other hospitality.
Meanwhile, Patel’s attorney, Rehan Gohar, asserted that his client was accompanied by a second individual. “The police recorded his (Kiran Patel’s) statement under Section 16A in front of the magistrate, but another individual was released,” Gohar explained.Kiran Patel has refuted all allegations made against him, describing them as “without foundation and subject to trial.” Patel’s family believes that the incident is the result of political rivalry.
According to the FIR filed against the alleged con artist at the Nishat Police Station in Srinagar, Kiran Patel “engaged in activities within this police station’s jurisdiction and in other parts of the Kashmir Valley.” He was provided with government hospitality, a personal security officer (PSO), and a lodging in a five-star hotel.
According to India Today’s sources, Kiran Patel has been visiting the Kashmir Valley since last October. Before being apprehended, he even made it through the Kaman Post in Uri, which is closer to the Line of Control (LoC), to Lal Chowk in Srinagar.Patel was charged with relevant sections of cheating and forgery on March 2, and he was apprehended the following day. After he landed at a J&K airport on March 2, the CID detected the swindle artist as there was no information of any VIP movement.
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Following his detention and initial interrogation, authorities discovered forged identification documents in his possession.Ten counterfeit business cards were recovered from Patel’s procession, along with two mobile phones.
