Gujarat man surrendered passport in ED case, then got another one with fake papers
A Gujarat man who had surrendered his passport to a court in connection with an Enforcement Directorate money laundering case allegedly reported it lost, secured another using forged documents and travelled to three countries before returning to India, officials said on Wednesday.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad arrested Harikesh Patel, a resident of Shahibaug, on September 12 after acting on a tip-off. Patel is a former member of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), while his mother is a member of the Congress party, an official said.
According to an ATS release, Patel had surrendered his โIndian passport (No. S2528999)โ before a court during proceedings in a money laundering case linked to the โPowerbank appโ registered by the Enforcement Directorate.
โHowever, he later obtained another passport (No. C0538007) by furnishing false documents and fake information,โ the release said.
The ATS said Patel's anticipatory bail application in the money laundering case was rejected, after which he approached a high court.
During this period, the man in his 30s allegedly lodged a false complaint with the Delhi Crime Branch claiming that his passport had been lost.
According to the release, Patel did so to evade arrest and travel abroad.
He subsequently obtained the second passport from the Regional Passport Office in Ghaziabad on July 26, 2024.
The ATS alleged that he managed to obtain it by furnishing a false address in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, on his Aadhaar card and securing supporting documents on that basis.TRAVELLED TO THREE COUNTRIES
After obtaining the second passport, Patel allegedly used it to travel to Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai.
The ATS said he travelled to these destinations via Bhutan and later returned to India through Nepal.
The agency has now registered a case against Patel under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Passports Act.
Further investigation into the alleged use of forged documents and the circumstances surrounding the second passport is underway, officials said.SIX-DAY REMAND
Following his arrest on September 12, the agency secured Patel's six-day remand on September 13, according to the release.
The arrest is linked to allegations concerning the passport and does not by itself establish guilt in the money laundering case or the alleged passport offences.WHAT IS PAAS?
The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, or PAAS, is a socio-political organisation formed in Gujarat in 2015.
The organisation spearheaded an agitation seeking Other Backward Class reservation status and quotas in government jobs and education for the Patidar community.- EndsWith PTI inputsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Sep 16, 2026 16:36 IST
