Conman Who Pretended To Be Official From PM's Office Charged By Probe Agency

The Enforcement Directorate's Srinagar Zonal Office has filed a Prosecution Complaint against conman Kiran Patel who availed of security from the Jammu and Kashmir administration by passing himself off as a Prime Minister's Office functionary and also duped several Gujarat-based businessmen by promising them opportunities in the Kashmir Valley, an official statement said on Saturday.

The complaint, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, was filed before the special PMLA court, Srinagar, on October 28 and the court has issued notice to Patel, a resident of Ahmedabad, to appear before it on November 27.

The ED initiated its investigation on the basis of the FIR registered by Nishat Police Station, Srinagar, against Patel and others for the offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The financial probe agency's investigation revealed that Patel sought to pass himself as Additional Director, Strategy and Campaigns, PMO and fraudulently created/printed fake visiting cards to fake his identity to fulfil his ulterior motives to dupe people and generate proceeds of crime.

"By using the said fake visiting cards and impersonation, not only did he illicitly avail the security from the administration of the UT of J&K government which has caused a loss of resources and monetary loss to the state exchequer but also, he duped gullible Gujarat-based businessmen and secured/got undue advantages by making a false promise to provide business opportunities in the Valley of Kashmir," the statement said.

The ED had conducted search operations under the PMLA on May 19, 2023, at various premises linked with Patel and others resulting in the seizure of incriminating documents/records & electronic devices.

Further investigations are in progress, it said.

Patel was granted bail by a Srinagar court on August 29, 2023, on a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh with 2 sureties.

J&K Police had arrested him on March 3, 2023, for allegedly impersonating a PMO functionary.

The authorities said that Patel got facilities normally given to officials from the PMO including a bulletproof car, security personnel and official accommodation at a five-star hotel during his visits to Jammu and Kashmir.

The conman, who faces over half a dozen cheating cases in Gujarat, was arrested in the state in August 2023 on charges of cheating a Morbi-based businessman of Rs 48 lakh.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)