He stayed at the Lalit Grand Palace, the five-star heritage hotel in Srinagar, Kashmir, overlooking the Dal lake, and got Z-plus security cover during visits to different parts of Kashmir. For months, Kiran Patel, from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, conned the Jammu and Kashmir administration by posing as additional director (planning and strategy) in the prime minister’s office (PMO).
He made multiple visits to J&K and even held meetings with bureaucrats, suggesting ideas to boost horticulture, especially apple production. He was arrested on March 2 after the J&K Police got a tip-off from Delhi that he was a conman. He had two accomplices, Amit Pandya and Jai Sitapara, both from Gujarat; Patel had introduced them as “officials from the PMO”. However, they were not arrested as the police felt they might have been misled by the conman.
Patel’s arrest has come as a relief to security agencies, but the embarrassment persists. More significantly, the incident is seen as a serious security lapse in the militancy-hit Union territory. Vijay Kumar, additional director general of police, said the con was not the result of an intelligence lapse, but a “mistake which is being investigated”. He said the police do not provide security cover based on verbal communiques (such requests usually come in writing from the PMO). “Any officer who ordered security for the conman will be dealt with,” he said.
This story is from the April 02, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 02, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ram temple not an issue in south
Much has been said this election season about the alleged north-south divide.
Haute and sweaty
In Mumbai, where I live and work, there is a severe heatwave going on. The highest temperature this month has been 40 degrees, sweltering and humid for the coastal city.
MOVE AWAY MARY!
In many parts of the world,unique names are becoming popular
CALL OF THE WILD
Tejas Thackeray, the younger son of former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, shares his passion for wildlife conservation and photography
CEPA and beyond
Bilateral trade between the UAE and India has grown almost 16 per cent year-on-year, touching $84.5 billion
Brash and raw
When I chanced upon Raj Narain, who humbled Indira Gandhi
Lone voice of dissent
“I am keen to invite Parakala [Prabhakar] to Mumbai… What do you think? Do you know him?” A friend asked. No, I don’t know the man. And no, it is not a good idea to invite him, unless you want to invite trouble, I replied.
Modi and the Muslim syndrome
I have long been intrigued by the prime minister’s desire to hug every passing sheikh and sultan and his contrasting contempt for the ordinary Indian Muslim.
Assam Rifles not trained to guard borders; need separate force for Manipur border
Imphal is blanketed in darkness. The sun has set a little too soon in the valley, but N. Biren Singh is yet to call it a day.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE SENTINELS
Manipur government wants the Assam Rifles replaced, but the Union home ministry is focused on upgrading infrastructure and connectivity before deciding who guards the state