Probe ordered into fake PMO official's visits to J&K

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday ordered a probe into the visits of conman Kiran Patel -- who used to pose as a 'PMO official', to the union territory, an official said.

An order issued by the Home Department appointed Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, divisional commissioner (Kashmir) as the inquiry officer who has been asked to submit his report within a week's time.

The order reads: "Sanction is hereby accorded to the appointment of Vijay Kumar Bidhuri as Inquiry Officer to inquire into the various aspects related to the visits of Kiran Patel to Kashmir during the past months and security arrangements made thereof.

"The Inquiry Officer shall identify the lapses on the part of the Officers/ Officials concerned and submit a detailed report within one week," the order read.

Kiran Patel was on his third visit to the Kashmir Valley when he was arrested by police from a 5-star hotel in Srinagar on March 2.

The police have told the court: "He has prima facie forged and manufactured some documents including some visiting cards on the basis of which he has defrauded not only a single or group of person but extremely elevated class of the society, including high officials of the civil administration and police authorities.

"He succeeded in getting Z Category Security, bullet proof vehicle and enjoyed five-star protocol brazenly for a considerable period of time.

"The documents, visiting cards and cell phone of the accused person have been sent for FSL examination, on the basis of which the alleged crime has been commuted, however the FSL examination report has not been received by the investigating agency," the police said.

The report also said that investigation conducted so far has suggested that the accused has visited most sensitive locations and areas of the Kashmir Valley, which are highly protected and extremely sensitive as far as the present security scenario of Kashmir is concerned.

"This aspect of the matter has necessarily to be probed thoroughly by the investigating machinery as to how and with what motive and object the accused visited these locations and areas.

"There is enough material available on the file, suggestive of the fact that while meeting different and variety of people and conducting meeting with highly elevated officials of civil administration and police, the accused may have received hefty amount for different purpose which areas seem not to have been investigated so far.

"Further no recoveries have been made by the investigating agency so far, hence a detailed and thorough investigating is also required to be conducted as far as this area of the matter is concerned.

"Meticulous and careful perusal of case diary file and material available on record reflects that during this all period some more persons have remained closely connected with the accused person whose nexus with the accused person requires proper investigation," the police report said.