Conman posing as Rahul Gandhi's secretary cheats politicians of crores
What's the story
Dehradun Police have arrested a conman who posed as Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's personal secretary, cheating politicians across India. The accused, Gaurav Kumar from Amritsar, Punjab, was nabbed under "Operation Prahar" after a complaint revealed an interstate racket. The scam came to light when Uttarakhand Congress leader Bhavana Pandey reported losing ₹25 lakh to Kumar's scheme on May 3 at Rajpur police station.
Scam details
Kumar promised Pandey a prominent position in the Congress
Police said Kumar, posing as Kanish Singh, an aide to Gandhi, approached Pandey with a promise of securing her a prominent party position. He sent an associate to collect the cash from her Jakhan residence before going off the grid. "To convince me, they made me listen to people on speakerphone, claiming they were Harish Rawat, Harak Singh, Yashpal Arya, and Ganesh Godiyal (senior office-bearers). They said that around 12 MLAs were staying in a five-star hotel in Dehradun."
Scam strategy
Victims include senior Congress leaders across multiple states
She continued, "They claimed that the cost of their stay was ₹22,50,000 and asked me to give ₹25,00,000." Police said Kumar used a fake profile on caller ID platforms like Truecaller to gain credibility. He scoured political websites and online sources for potential victims, including senior party leaders in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Bihar. By posing as an insider with access to decision-makers, he convinced victims he could secure election tickets or influential posts for a price.
Investigation progress
Victims did not report due to fear of reputational damage
Kumar was nabbed at a Dehradun mall while allegedly trying to collect another payment for an election ticket. During interrogation, he confessed to defrauding two politicians in Jaipur of ₹1.90 crore and ₹12 lakh, as well as ₹3 lakh from Patna-based leader. Police believe the fraud had been going on for long with many victims not reporting due to fear of reputational damage. Officials said Kumar worked with at least three associates—Chajju, Rajat Mada, and Maninder Singh Kalu—who are absconding.
Fraud network
Investigators trying to trace more victims and financial trails
The arrest has unveiled a massive political fraud network, and investigators are now trying to trace more victims and financial trails. The police hinted at more arrests as they continue to probe the multi-state scam. Kumar's modus operandi included impersonating senior Congress leaders and fabricating stories about MLAs staying in luxury hotels, further convincing victims of his fraudulent schemes. The police registered a case under Section 318 (4) (cheating) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Pandey's complaint and launched an operation.