Court in Jammu and Kashmir grants bail to Gujarati conman Karanbhai Patel

It may be recalled that the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested Patel on March 3 this year for impersonating an additional director for strategy and campaigns in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). In May this year, the Jammu and Kashmir Police filed a charge sheet in the CJM court against the conman Karanbhai Patel of Gujarat.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): A court in the centrally administered Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday granted bail to Gujarati conman Karanbhai Patel and his accomplices in the PMO official impersonation case, sources said. Today was the 11th hearing in the case in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Srinagar) Raja Mohammad Taslim. During the hearing, the accused were produced through video-conferencing as they were in the custody of the Gujarat police. The CGM, however, partially heard the arguments on the application for re-examination of the witness and asked both parties to remain present in the court on September 30 to present further arguments on the matter.

Sources said that the court directed the counsel of Patel to furnish a bail bond to the tune of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties. While none of the witnesses were present in the court, the CGM directed the Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) to present all the witnesses in the court on the next date (September 30).

It may be recalled that the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested Patel on March 3 this year for impersonating an additional director for strategy and campaigns in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). In May this year, the Jammu and Kashmir Police filed a charge sheet in the CJM court against the conman Karanbhai Patel of Gujarat.

Patel had managed to get facilities usually provided to officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, including a bulletproof car, security personnel and official accommodation at a five-star hotel during his visits to Jammu and Kashmir.