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Believe it or not, over three dozen conmen faking themselves as officers at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) have been booked across various states by the law and order authorities in the past few years. Most of them were apprehended on complaints from unsuspecting victims. 

Even this incomplete list sheds much light on the centralised working style of this government and how it dispenses power and perks to its supporters and cracks down on the opponents. A quick look at the modus operandi of the fake PMO officers will help understand how the system works. It also underscores the fact that the cons were well aware while working that the Modi establishment were part of it.

“We will not spare those who cheat the country, loot the poor,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared at a meeting of the vigilance commission and Central Bureau of Investigation.

But PMO fakes did exactly the opposite even after Modi’s warning.  The imposters knew they would be safe so long as they sided with the ruling party.

Hence, their role model is Kiran Patel, the master con man, who worked as a ‘senior’ PMO official for years, and was sent on a secret mission to places like Jammu and Kashmir. He got all state hospitalities: five star accommodation, bullet-proof vehicle, escorts, and even Z-plus security. He called senior officials at will and sought sensitive documents. 

Another uncomfortable fact about Patel is that he was actually close to Gujarat politicians, including Amit Shah. He is expert at name-dropping and often ‘telephoning’ them in Gujarati to show his free access to the higher-ups. None of the other PMO cons were as resourceful as Kiran Patel. 

The others operated at lower levels and invariably failed to get national attention. 

Look at Mayank Tiwari, for instance, a glib talker claiming to be a ‘director of strategic advice’ at PMO. He got admission for the kids of two of his friends at a prestigious school in Vadodara. Unfortunately for him, the school authorities later contacted the PMO and got Mayank booked. 

In Prayagraj, fraudster Prakash Pathak was arrested for posing as a top officer at PMO. Cops recovered fake identity cards, stamps and an SUV from him.

Then comes a senior........

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