Now that his fraud has been revealed when the CID wing of the J&K Police intervened in time, the ADGP, Kashmir Vijay Kumar has classified the occurrence as a “mistake”. But he must understand that what is being called a mistake could have cost the system dearly, and even if the issue is being swept under the rug, there is no denying that it is a serious security lapse since anything might have happened. The ADGP’s reference to the matter, which has mostly attempted to keep the issue quiet, is unacceptable, and there is a need to highlight the gravity of the issue, which has thrown the entire security apparatus into a loop.
While we can certainly expect a Bollywood drama about how a nicely dressed, not-so-impressive-looking Gujarati con man duped the “foolproof” security setup and the otherwise vigilant officials in the system, a comprehensive investigation is required. As of now, it appears that only a Station House Officer (SHO) is attempting to piece together what happened, how, and where, but given the gravity of the situation—which is currently being downplayed—there is an urgent need for a high-level investigation to determine responsibility and bring those found guilty to justice per the relevant legal provisions.
The ADGP must understand that J&K Police has a legacy of discipline and unflinching sacrifices, and what this con man has done, the police must accept that it is far more than a mistake—somewhere, the Standard Operating Procedures were not duly followed—and the deception manifested later when the damage had already been done. The ADGP needs to apologise for terming the severe breach as only an “error”.
It was truly amazing to see how Kiran Patel had managed to dupe the security apparatus into believing he was an official of the Prime Minister’s Office when the truth was that he was just a crafty criminal. There must have been persons on whose behest and facilitation he went up and above to present himself as someone important. He could not have done it on his own—that is for sure—which highlights the vital need to identify such persons who would go to any length to assist their con pal. People want to see accountability now that Patel’s days of deceit are finally over.
