The impostor Kiranbhai Patel had several meetings with the officials during his two visits to Srinagar earlier this year
Srinagar: Z-plus security, a bulletproof Mahindra Scorpio SUV, official stay at a five-star hotel… and much more… A Gujarat-based con man posing as a senior official of the Prime Minister’s Office was able to get facilities from the Jammu and Kashmir administration and Succeeded in making fun of the security system openly. This impostor Kiran Bhai Patel had also held several meetings with the officials during his two visits to Srinagar earlier this year.
Patel, who described himself as an additional director in charge of strategy and operations in the Prime Minister’s Office, was arrested about 10 days ago, but the police kept his arrest a secret. The matter came to light after the magistrate sent him to judicial custody on Thursday. It is not clear whether the FIR was registered on the day of his arrest or there was some delay in registering it.
This thug had made his first visit to the valley in February. Then he visited health resorts. There are several videos of his visits to various places with paramilitary and police protection. He is seen passing through the snow at Dudhpathri in Budgam with paramilitary guards. He is also seen posing for photographs in front of Clock Tower Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
Sources say that Patel also held meetings with officials to discuss ways to bring more tourists from Gujarat and make Dudhpathri a major tourist destination.
Patel came under suspicion after his second visit to Srinagar within two weeks. Sources said an IAS officer, posted as district magistrate, informed the police about the visit of a “senior PMO official” last month.
Intelligence agencies alerted the police about an impostor posing as a PMO official. After verifying his background, the police were asked to arrest the man from a hotel in Srinagar.
Sources say that action has been initiated against two police officers for blunder and failure to detect the imposter in time. Sources said that a team of Gujarat Police is also joining the probe.
