A local court on Thursday ordered alleged conman Kiran Patel’s custody to be transferred to the Gujarat Police.
The Gujarat-based accused, who had been arrested for allegedly posing as a senior official of the Prime Minister’s office, was in the custody of Jammu and Kashmir Police up to this point.
A Gujarat Police team headed by inspector MM Solanki arrived in Kashmir to seek custody. In an application, the inspector had contended that Patel was wanted in Ahmedabad City DCB police station Part-A in a cheating case.
“Since the accused is presently lodged in Central Jail, Srinagar in connection with FIR no 19/2023 U/S 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 of the Indian Penal Code of Police Station Nishat, Srinagar. Therefore, his custody is required to be changed in the FIR no 11191011230073/2023 U/S 406, 420, 170 and 120-B of the IPC at Ahmedabad Gujarat because investigation in the case is at its infancy stage and cannot be completed without the custodial investigation of the said accused,” the inspector said in his application.
The inspector also produced an authorisation letter issued by Ahmedabad City police crime branch deputy commissioner Chaitanya R Mandlik
Chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Srinagar Raja Mohammad Taskeen passed an order about handing over custody of Patel to Gujarat Police.
“I am of the considered opinion the submissions made by the Inspector of Police M.M Solanki carries much weight and at the same time seems to be just proper and appealing,” the CJM said in his order.
The court also directed Srinagar Central Jail in-charge superintendent to hand over the Patel to Solanki after proper medical checkup.
On Monday a Srinagar court had asked police to investigate whether Kiran Patel who is already in police custody after posing as senior officer of the PMO has duped a local resident of ₹18 lakh after describing himself as MD of a business company.
Patel, who impersonated an official with the PMO, was arrested on March 2 from a luxury hotel in Srinagar by the state police, less than a fortnight after he threw a fit during his February 23 visit to Budgam because no senior official came to receive him.
Patel’s arrest led the J&K administration to issue a fresh advisory reminding officials to follow standard operating procedures in recommending or extending security protection to people from outside the union territory.
The alleged conman, who faces four other cases in Gujarat, remained in judicial custody after Srinagar’s chief judicial magistrate rejected his bail application on March 23, holding that it could hamper the police probe.He is facing four other cases in Gujarat. His wife Malini Patel had been arrested in Gujarat in connection with a cheating case registered against the couple.
