Gujarat conman back to Kashmir; Will be investigated by Srinagar Police

SRINAGAR — After completing the investigation, Gujarat Police on Monday handed over the custody of Kiran Bhai Patel, who posed as a fake ‘PMO official’ in Kashmir, to Srinagar Police for further investigation of the high profile case registered against him.

Reliable sources told the news agency KDC that after completing the investigation by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, the Gujarat Police on Monday handed over the custody of Kiran Bhai Patel to Police Station Nishat in Srinagar for further investigation of the high-profile case. Patel will be sent to Central Jail Srinagar as per the orders of a local court here.

A senior police officer also confirmed that Kiran Patel was handed back to Srinagar Police.

Kiran was handed over to a team of Gujarat Police on court directions for the investigation of a case registered against him at Ahmedabad Crime Branch.

The imposter had taken the J&K administration and security structure for a ride by securing a Z-plus security cover, a bulletproof Mahindra Scorpio SUV, official accommodation at a five-star hotel, and a lot more.

As per reports, Patel was able to get security from the Jammu and Kashmir Police by forged means and was staying at Hotel Lalit in Room No. 1107. The ‘fraudster’ had visited multiple places in Kashmir including Doodpatri in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Gulmarg and Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla.

Jammu and Kashmir Police had formed a three-member team headed by SP East Srinagar to investigate the case against the alleged impersonator from Gujarat Kiran Bhai Patel.

J&K Home Department had also initiated an inquiry and appointed Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, IAS, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, as Inquiry Officer to inquire into the various aspects related to the visits of Kiran Patel to Kashmir during the past months and security arrangements made thereof.

The officer was asked to identify the lapses on the part of the Officers/Officials concerned and submit a detailed report within one week. The time of inquiry had passed, but no information was provided by the government so far.

The Gujarat Police had taken custody of Ahmedabad-based Kiran Patel, in an FIR days after he was arrested by the J&K Police for apparently pulling off one of the biggest cons in the history of Jammu and Kashmir and is wanted in at least four cases in his home state Gujarat.