ED raids 12 premises linked to Guj conman

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case against Kiranbhai Jagdishbhai Patel, who is accused of cheating people by impersonating as a PMO official while taking the Jammu and Kashmir administration for a ride, and conducted searches at over 10 locations in Gujarat.

In an official statement, the ED said the searches carried out on May 19 resulted in the seizure of documents related to immovable properties and “highly incriminating” material. “A total of 12 locations in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Morbi and Mehsana in Gujarat linked to Patel and his associates Jay Savjibhai Sitapara, Hardik Kishorebhai Chandrana, Vitthalbhai Motibhai Patel, Amit Pandya and Piyush Kantibhai Vasita were searched in connection with the investigation,” the ED said.

The ED alleged Patel, with criminal intention, employed high degree of forged means and impersonated as a senior government official serving in the PMO. “By resorting to cheating, forgery and impersonation, Patel duped gullible people under a well-knit plan for securing monetary as well as material benefits,” the ED alleged. The ED’s case under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is based on an FIR registered by the J&K Police.

“Patel is a habitual scammer and imposter. Other FIRs have also been registered against him and his family members in Gujarat for defrauding people by posing as a high-ranking officer in the government,” the ED added.