Kiran Patel, conman from Gujarat, arrested for posing as top-rated bureaucrat in Jammu and Kashmir
2 min read . Updated: 18 Mar 2023, 04:51 PM IST
Premium- Kiran Patel claimed he fooled the Jammu and Kashmir administration four times. He had been conferred with Z-plus security cover, a bulletproof SUV and official accommodation at a five-star hotel in the state
A bizzare story has come to the forefront wherein a Gujarat conman impersonated being a close aide for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Jammu and Kashmir to look for places susceptible for improving hotel facilities in the states. Patel was conferred with Z-plus security cover, a bulletproof SUV and official accommodation at a five-star hotel in Jammu and Kashmir, reported Hindustan Times.
The man hailing from Gujarat has been arrested by police from a five-star hotel here for posing as an 'additional secretary' in the Centre and enjoying security cover besides other hospitality.
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Saturday termed the Jammu and Kashmir administration "incompetent" after a conman posing as a PMO official got the requisite perks, and claimed it was befooled four times.
Kiran Patel was on his third visit to the Kashmir valley and was subsequently nabbed by alert security officials on 3 March.
Notably, the conman Kiran J Patel has a verified Twitter account and over a thousand followers.
He was produced before a court in Srinagar for extension of his police remand. A case under relevant sections of cheating and forgery was registered against him on March 2 and he was arrested the next day.
Who is Kiran Patel?
According to his Twitter bio, Patel has claimed that he has 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.
How did Patel con J&K police? How was he nabbed?
Patel had claimed he had been given 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.
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 2 March 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.
Patel's wife defends her husband
“My husband is an engineer and I am a doctor. My husband went there for development work as he is an engineer and nothing else. He has done nothing wrong. Our advocate there is looking after the matter. My husband will never do wrong to anyone. I cannot comment further," India Today quoted Malini Patel as saying.
