Initiating the process against conman Dr. Kiran Bhai Patel, who cheated senior officers of the Jammu and Kashmir, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said that the fraudster PMO has been asked to appear before a special court on November 27 in Srinagar.
The ED has filed a prosecution complaint against Kiran Patel, an alleged conman from Gujarat, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Patel was accused of impersonating a top official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and duping people to gain undue advantages.
A special court in Srinagar took cognizance of the complaint and issued a notice to Patel to appear on November 27.
Fraudster was granted bail in August 2023
Dr. Kiran Bhai Patel had previously been granted bail on August 29, 2023, after being arrested for posing as a PMO official.
According to the ED, Patel created fake visiting cards and impersonated himself as the Additional Director (Strategy and Campaigns) of the PMO to deceive people and generate proceeds of crime. He allegedly availed security from the J&K Government, causing a loss of resources and monetary loss to the state exchequer. Additionally, he duped Gujarat-based businessmen by promising them business opportunities in Kashmir.
The ED conducted search operations on May 19, 2023, seizing incriminating documents, records, and electronic devices.
Fraudster posing as PMO official arrested in March 2023
Arrested in March 2023, the fraudster cheated senior police and civil officers of the Jammu and Kashmir administration by impersonating himself as "Additional Director (Strategy & Campaign) in the Prime Minister's Office".
Without verifying his credentials, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir provided him with all protocols and facilitated his visits to different parts of Kashmir Valley.
Some senior police officers when checked the credentials of the PMO officers it was found that he was a fraudster who was cheating bureaucrats and some businessmen.
Accordingly, an FIR no 19 of 2023 was registered by Srinagar police in Police Station Nishat reads "on 02-03-2023 reliable information received by Police Station Nishat has revealed that a fraudster namely Kiran Bhai Patel son of Jagdesh Bhai Patel resident of Gujarat has by criminal intention indulged in activities within the jurisdiction of this police station and other parts of Kashmir valley and by employing a high degree of forged means. Dr. Kiran J Patel has impersonated himself as a senior government official of India."
Reports said that A deputy commissioner posted in one of the districts in the Valley had recommended him for security cover.
Managed to get Z-Plus security through forged means
As per reports Patel, through forged means, managed to get security from the Jammu and Kashmir police and was staying at Hotel Lalit in Room no 1107.
The fraudster as per reports had visited multiple places in Kashmir including Doodpatri in central Kashmir's Budgam district. At Doodpathri the fraudster was accompanied by an SDM rank officer.
The cheater also met at least two Deputy Commissioners during his visit to the Valley.
According to reports, Patel was put under surveillance by J&K Police after inputs and alerts from New Delhi and the CID in Srinagar about his suspicious movement towards the end of February 2023. He was trapped and arrested in Srinagar on his fourth visit.
