Gujarat conman arrested for posing as 'top PMO official' in Srinagar

In a bizarre incident and what can be called a serious security lapse, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday arrested a man posing as a top official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

A Gujarati man, who posed as Additional Director, Strategy and Campaigns, at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in New Delhi, was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police in Srinagar on Thursday, March 16.

The man has been identified as Kiran Patel, a resident of Gujarat, who was staying at 5-star hotel Lalit in Srinagar, posing as Additional Director (Strategy and Campaign) in the PMO.

The man from Gujarat had even got Z-plus security cover, a bulletproof SUV and official accommodation at a five-star hotel in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the administration for a ride.

According to reports, the imposter had also visited multiple places in Kashmir including Doodpatri in Budgam district, where he was accompanied by an SDM rank officer. Patal had allegedly forged documents to deceive people in the security who provided him security cover during his stay in Srinagar.

Earlier on February 27, Patel who has a verified Twitter handle, had posted a video on Twitter wherein he was seen visiting snow-clad Kashmir under tight security cover.

However, Patel was subsequently arrested by alert security officials on March 3 on his third visit to the Kashmir Valley, news agency PTI reported.

Patel had reportedly claimed that he had been given the mandate by the government to identify buyers for apple orchards in south Kashmir and a couple of IAS officers were in awe of him as he had been dropping names of high-ranking bureaucrats and politicians in the national capital.