A Srinagar Court on Thursday dismissed the bail plea of a Gujarat-based cheater Dr. Kiran J Patel who hoodwinked the Jammu and Kashmir administration by impersonating as a senior officer in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Before he was arrested the conman enjoyed all protocols and perks of a senior officer.
Having reserved the order on Monday after hearing the arguments of the counsel representing Patel and additional public prosecutor, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar Raja Mohammad Tasleem found the bail plea "devoid of any merit".
"I am of the considered opinion that arguments advanced by the additional public prosecutor are just, proper and appealing and carries much weight and on the other hand I respectfully disagree with the submission put forth by Counsel for the applicant because in the case at this stage discretion of bail is exercised in favour of the accused it shall definitely destroy the very fabric of the investigation," the Court said.
"Resultantly, in my considered opinion the instant application is devoid of any merit which deserves to be rejected, hence rejected", a Srinagar-based news agency reported while quoting the Court's order.
Impersonating as PMO official fraudster deceived senior J&K officers for 3 months
Impersonating as "Additional Director (Strategy & Campaign) in the Prime Minister's Office", the cheater managed to get Z-Plus security through forged means.
He also enjoyed all perks and protocols, including a bulletproof car and security cover besides other hospitality during his repeated visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kiran Patel was on his fourth visit to the Kashmir Valley when he was nabbed by security officials from a five-star hotel in the Nishat area of Srinagar on March 2.
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. He was trapped and arrested in Srinagar on his fourth visit.
Detailed investigation already ordered by J&K Police
On March 19 the Additional Director General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, today termed the providing of security to the conman as a mistake and said that a detailed investigation is being conducted and those involved in providing him security will not be spared.
"A mistake in providing Patel security is being looked into and action will be taken against the officer who has given instructions", the ADGP said.
"The SOP is there from the beginning. Instructions come from time to time. Police should not provide security to anyone on verbal instructions. We don't. The mistake which has happened is being looked into and action will be taken against the officer who has given instructions," he said.
He ruled out it as an intelligence failure. "We cannot call it intelligence failure. There has been negligence at the field office level and action will be taken," he said.
Omar slams J&K over Gujarat conman
On Monday former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah attacked J&K Government over alleged conman Kiran Patel, arrested for impersonating as a government official in the union territory, and asked how a government that got 'tricked' by an imposter, is expected to resolve issues of the valley.
Criticizing the government over its failure to check the credentials of the fraudster, Abdullah said this was possible because the J&K administration is an imposed one and not an elected one.
"You must have seen that a man came here and told the government here that he works in the PMO (Prime Minister's Office), they didn't even try to find out. We have a colleague, an ex-minister who faced attacks & doesn't get an escort vehicle even if he requests one with folded hands. This is the difference between an elected government and a government imposed from the top," he said.
