Ahmedabad, September 16 (Daily Kiran) : The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has detained Harikesh Patel, son of Geetaben Patel, the president of the Gujarat Women’s Congress, in connection with a fake passport case. The ATS alleges that despite his original passport being submitted to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, Harikesh Patel reportedly procured a second passport using fraudulent documents for international travel.
According to ATS Superintendent of Police Siddharth, authorities received information indicating that Harikesh Patel’s original passport was lodged with the Patiala House Court as part of the ED’s investigation. Nevertheless, he allegedly used different photographs and documents to obtain a second passport from regional passport offices in Ahmedabad and Ghaziabad.
Following this revelation, a team was formed to investigate the matter, sharing the information with senior officials. The team confirmed the details through technical and operational means. The investigation revealed that Harikesh had fabricated documents to secure the second passport.
SP Siddharth noted that this case is linked to a money laundering investigation initiated by the ED in 2022, which implicated Harikesh Patel. After his involvement came to light, he applied for anticipatory bail in the Patiala House Court. However, his bail was later revoked, prompting him to approach the Delhi High Court.
The ATS claims that during the 2023-24 period, despite his original passport being in court, Harikesh attempted to acquire a new passport. He allegedly facilitated this through a passport agent in Delhi, paying around 2.5 million rupees for the service.
The investigation indicates that Harikesh traveled to Nepal and Bhutan using the new passport, subsequently visiting countries such as Bangkok, Dubai, and Singapore. Reports also suggest he spent an extended period in Dubai.
Additionally, the ATS revealed that Harikesh Patel has been previously implicated in fraud cases registered with the Narayanpura police and the crime branch, leading to his earlier arrests.
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