Gujarat conman, Kiran Patel claimed to be ‘additional director’ in PMO. It is alleged that he visited sensitive areas near LOC with Z-plus security. However, his story came to an end after he was arrested. Apparently he duped the J&K officials for 4 months. He was on his 4th visit since November 2022 to the sensitive areas.
Kiran Patel had introduced himself as the Additional Director (Strategy and Campaign) in the Prime Minister’s office. He moved around in a bulletproof Scorpio with full security cover and four escort vehicles. Furthermore, he went around snubbing senior officers. He even threatened them that he would get them transferred if they were lazy in their work.
Surprisingly, conman Kiran Patel from Gujarat enjoyed all the amenities for free for four months. It is such an irony that senior officers of the J&K police and the civil administration, including the IAS officers couldn’t find out about him.
It is alleged that he visited the sensitive border areas of Uri near the Line of Control (LoC) under full security cover. He pretended so well that he enjoyed the UT’s hospitality. He also stayed at the Lalit Grand Palace hotel located in Srinagar’s posh area.
Kiran Patel posted photos in social media
Interestingly, Patel posted reels and photos on FB and Instagram about his ‘VVIP visits’, along with his security cover. According to police sources, his story came to an end when the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam, Syed Fakharuddin Hamid became suspicious of Patel’s credentials. He then alerted the seniors in the security grid.
Consequently, Patel was put under surveillance on 26 February. According to the Print, the J&K police sources told them that they got an input that a suspicious person was seen enjoying a Z-plus security cover, with a bulletproof Mahindra Scorpio vehicle, paramilitary double escort and personal security officers (PSOs).”
Moreover, on one of his visit to a tourist resort in Doodhpathri, Patel allegedly “snubbed the officers there for not doing their work properly” and even “threatened to get the DC (Deputy Commissioner) shifted”. “He had a government ID and also a PMO visiting card with him with all his details, which were then found to be forged.”
Finally, Patel was arrested on 2 March when he arrived in Srinagar on his fourth visit since November 2022. An FIR has been registered and he has been booked for forgery, impersonation and cheating.
A high-level inquiry into the security breach has been ordered by the office of the J&K Lieutenant-Governor. Moreover, officials are also being questioned on how J&K Police’s security wing granted security cover to a person without thorough verification of his credentials.
The police arrested Patel after he had checked into Lalit Grand Palace. According to the police, they seized 10 fake visiting cards and two mobiles from him. The J&K police also confirmed that there are three cases registered against Patel in different police stations in Gujarat.
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