Kiran Patel, Accused Conman, Released on Bail
Kiran Patel, a resident of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, who was arrested by the Srinagar Police earlier this year, has been granted bail. The alleged conman was arrested for his actions in Srinagar. The Srinagar Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, while granting bail, stated that the charge under Section 467 of the IPC has been dropped by the agency. This section carries a potential punishment of life imprisonment.
Change in Charges
The court clarified, “After the removal of the offense under Section 467, the accused can now face a maximum punishment of seven years for the committed offense.” Section 467 pertains to the forgery of valuable security and wills. The penalty for this offense can range from life imprisonment to 10 years in addition to a fine. The court explained that the initial rejection of Kiran Patel’s bail plea in March was primarily based on grounds that have now been deemed non-existent by the investigating officer.
Background of the Case
In March of this year, Kiran Patel was apprehended at Lalit Hotel in Srinagar for falsely claiming to be a PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) official. The police had revealed, “He was given security access and permission to enter highly sensitive areas by the Jammu and Kashmir administration officials. Such access is typically not granted to ordinary citizens or tourists.”
The police had filed charges against Patel under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 419, 420, 468, 471, 170, and 120B. Following the completion of the investigation, a supplementary charge sheet was filed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police against the second accused, Piyush Vasita. The lawyer representing the accused, Anil Raina, shared that the recently submitted document dropped the charges under Section 467 for both individuals.
Changes in the Case and Bail Decision
Two former associates of Patel, namely Amit Hitesh Pandya and Jai Sivji Sitapara, have been listed as prosecution witnesses in the case. In his order, CJM Srinagar Mohammad Tasleem highlighted, “Substantial changes have occurred in the case. Therefore… it is unnecessary to keep the accused persons in custody for further investigation in this matter.”
