A Gujarat-based conman recently threw the Srinagar administration into tizzy, by posing as Prime Minister’s official in the city. While posing as a PMO official, the conman got a Z plus security cover, a bullet proof SUV, and managed to hold multiple meetings before his fraud was uncovered. The accused man also stayed at a 5-star hotel before being held and taken into custody. The accused has been identified as Kiran Bhai Patel.

According to reports, conman Kiran Bhai Patel has a verified account on Twitter, and somehow managed to be followed back by BJP Gujarat General Secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela. The accused etched a fascinating bio of himself on Twitter. In the bio, the accused claimed to have a PhD from US, an MBA from IIM Trichy, and has M.Tech degree in Computer science.

In his bio, he claimed to be a “thinker, strategist, analyst and campaign manager”.

Patel claimed to be an additional director for strategy and campaigns in the Prime Minister’s Office. During his visit to Srinagar, he claimed that the government had tasked him with identifying buyers for apple orchards in south Kashmir.

With Z-plus security cover, Patel made visits to tourist places in Kashmir, including Gulmarg, under the guise of looking for ways to improve hotel facilities in the area.

On the third day of the visit, his luck finally ran out and he was arrested.

The Facts of the Matter

In a bizarre case of impersonation, a man named Kiran Patel was arrested by alert security officials from a five-star hotel in Srinagar for posing as an ‘additional secretary’ in the Centre. This conman had been taking the administration for a ride, claiming that he had been tasked by the government to improve hotel facilities in tourist places of Kashmir.

Patel had even managed to get Z-plus security cover, a bulletproof SUV, and official accommodation at a five-star hotel in Jammu and Kashmir. But his luck ran out on his third visit to the valley when security agencies got suspicious of his movements.


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How Kiran Patel Conned Srinagar Administration

The man from Gujarat had gone to great lengths to impersonate a high-ranking bureaucrat, dropping names of politicians and bureaucrats in the national capital to impress others. He had even managed to deceive administrative officers in Srinagar, who remained in awe of him and the names he dropped.

Eventually the whole charade came to an end when Patel was arrested for cheating and forgery. Videos of him travelling to various places escorted by security personnel had surfaced, adding to the drama.


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Conman’s Twitter Followed by BJP Leader

To back his claims, Patel made a Twitter account, which remains verified. With over a thousand followers, including a BJP Gujarat general secretary, Patel’s Twitter gave him an aura of a high-profile dignitary.

To further back his story, he wrote a bio in which he claimed to have a PhD from Commonwealth University, Virginia, an MBA from IIM Trichy, as well as an M Tech in Computer Science and BE in computer engineering.


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Conman held Series of Meetings Before Downfall

The conman had been quite active during his two visits to Srinagar earlier this year. He had held a series of meetings with officials, posing as an Additional Director for strategy and campaigns in the Prime Minister’s Office.

It’s been revealed that Patel was arrested at least 10 days ago, but the authorities had kept it under wraps until Thursday when a magistrate sent him to judicial custody. The fake bureaucrat’s first visit to the valley was in February when he visited health resorts.

An IAS officer who is a district magistrate informed the police about the visit of a “senior PMO officer” last month, setting the ball rolling for the conman’s downfall.

 

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