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AHMEDABAD: The crime branch of the Gujarat Police conducted a search at conman Kiran Patel and his wife Malini’s residence at Prestige Bungalows in Ahmedabad’s Ghodasar, said an official on Tuesday.
During the search operation, the police discovered keys to another prime property Nilkanth Green Bungalows, several bank accounts and fake stamp papers.
The search was initiated on Monday following a complaint by the owner of the bungalows, Jagdish Chavda, who claimed that Patel had taken Rs 35 lakh from him promising to renovate the bungalow. He had projected himself as a top official with political influence.
However, Patel and his wife allegedly took over the property by force. The matter and his possessions are still under investigation, said Crime branch officials.
Apart from the keys to the bungalows, the police also found several incriminating items during the search, including a photocopy of the Nilkanth Bungalows plan and invitation cards to a ‘Vastu puja’ held at the bungalows.
Additionally, they found five bank accounts and fake stamp papers in Patel’s possession, which will be investigated further.
While the details of HDFC Bank, Union Bank, Allahabad Bank, and two other banks were not revealed by the crime branch, all the details of these banks and transactions are being sought by the crime branch.
Patel had been brought to Ahmedabad on a transfer warrant by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in connection with a cheating case. He had reportedly claimed to be a top official with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and had even secured a Z+ security cover in Jammu and Kashmir. However, he was later arrested for allegedly posing as a senior PMO official in Kashmir, where he was in judicial custody.
The discovery of the keys to Nilkanth Green Bungalows in Patel’s possession has raised suspicions that he may have been involved in similar other fraudulent activities.
The police are investigating the matter further and are likely to uncover more information in the coming days.
Patel was remanded to eight-day police custody by an Ahmedabad court on Saturday, following a request by the Gujarat Police team. The court of the chief judicial magistrate in Srinagar (J&K) granted custody to the Gujarat Police team.(Agencies)
