A passport fraud investigation in Gujarat has brought Harikesh Patel, son of Gujarat Mahila Congress State President Gita Patel, under the scanner. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested Patel for allegedly obtaining a second Indian passport using forged documents.
The passport, which investigators say was obtained despite his original passport having already been handed over to a court, was allegedly later used to travel to Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai.
A court has sent Patel to police custody until Saturday as the ATS investigates how the second passport was arranged and whether others were involved.
Passport issued with an alleged false address
Investigators say the new passport was issued to Patel at the Ghaziabad regional passport office on July 26, 2024.
The ATS alleges that an Agra, Uttar Pradesh address was used in the process. According to the agency, documents supporting the address were also created using the allegedly false details.
The investigation has now widened beyond Patel. The ATS is trying to trace an alleged intermediary who investigators believe played a role in arranging the passport for ₹65 lakh. Officials are also examining whether a larger group was involved in preparing false documents.
His original passport was already with the court
Before the passport investigation, Patel’s original travel document had already been handed over to the court in connection with another case, the ATS said.
The surrender took place during proceedings linked to an Enforcement Directorate (ED) money-laundering case involving the Power Bank app.
Patel’s anticipatory bail application was rejected, after which he approached the Gujarat High Court.
During the ongoing proceedings, he is alleged to have told the Delhi Crime Branch that the original document was missing.
The ATS is now examining the circumstances in which the second passport was obtained after the original had been surrendered.
Second passport allegedly used for overseas trips
The investigation also indicates that the document was later used for trips to Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai, according to the ATS.
The agency said it acted after receiving information about the alleged passport fraud. Investigators subsequently traced Patel and took him into custody.
Earlier cases and the Power Bank probe
The ATS has also linked Patel’s name to an earlier ED probe involving an alleged ₹50 crore fraud connected with the Power Bank app.
According to the agency, he was initially treated as an accused in that investigation but was later made a witness.
The ED had conducted searches at several locations in Gujarat in 2024 as part of that investigation.
Patel is also facing two other criminal cases, according to the report.
A separate case was registered by Naranpura police in 2022, with allegations including cheating, forgery, conspiracy, cyber fraud and criminal breach of trust.
The Crime Branch filed another case in 2023, also involving allegations of cheating, forgery, conspiracy and cyber fraud.
PAAS link comes from his earlier public role
Patel had been associated with the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) since its formation in 2015 and was involved in the Patidar quota agitation led by Hardik Patel.
Hardik Patel, now a BJP MLA from Viramgam, told that Harikesh had stopped communicating with him around five years ago.
However, the current investigation is focused on the alleged use of false documents to secure a second passport, the people involved in arranging it and how the document was subsequently used.
The allegations against Harikesh Patel remain part of an ongoing investigation and have not been established as convictions.
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