Police in Dehradun have arrested an alleged conman accused of impersonating the personal secretary of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and cheating politicians, party workers, and ticket aspirants across several states out of crores of rupees. Investigators said the accused posed as Kanishk Singh, who is known to be associated with Rahul Gandhi, and allegedly used the fake identity to convince victims that he could secure influential positions and election tickets within the Congress party in exchange for huge sums of money.
The accused has been identified as Gaurav Kumar, a resident of Amritsar in Punjab. According to police officials, he was arrested under a special crackdown operation named “Operation Prahar” after a complaint revealed what investigators now believe was a much larger interstate fraud network targeting political aspirants and party functionaries in different regions of the country.
The case came to light after Uttarakhand Congress leader Bhavana Pandey filed a complaint at the Rajpur police station on May 3. In her complaint, she alleged that she had been cheated of Rs 25 lakh by the accused after he falsely claimed he could arrange a senior position for her within the Congress party. According to police, Kumar allegedly contacted her while pretending to be Rahul Gandhi’s aide Kanishk Singh and gradually gained her trust through repeated communication.
Investigators stated that Kumar allegedly sent one of his associates to collect the money directly from Bhavana Pandey’s residence located in the Jakhan area of Dehradun. Soon after receiving the cash, the accused reportedly switched off his phone and disappeared, leading the complainant to realise she had been defrauded. Police officials said this complaint eventually uncovered a larger pattern of political fraud being carried out across multiple states.
During the investigation, police found that Kumar had allegedly created fake digital identities and used caller identification applications such as Truecaller to project himself as Kanishk Singh. Investigators believe he carefully crafted a convincing profile to establish credibility among political leaders and aspirants seeking influence within the Congress party.
Police further revealed that the accused allegedly collected information about potential targets through political websites, social media platforms, and publicly available online databases. Using these details, he reportedly identified politicians, aspiring candidates, and party workers from states such as Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Bihar. By claiming to have direct access to senior Congress leadership and decision-makers, he allegedly convinced victims that he could secure election tickets or important organisational posts for them in return for money.
According to a senior police officer, the accused stopped responding to calls immediately after the money was handed over at Bhavana Pandey’s residence. Following the complaint, police registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to cheating and launched an extensive operation to trace him.
Authorities eventually located and arrested Kumar at a shopping mall in Dehradun, where he was allegedly attempting to collect another payment from a political office-bearer in exchange for an election ticket. Police said the arrest was made possible through mobile phone surveillance, CCTV footage analysis, and local intelligence gathering conducted over several days.
During interrogation, Kumar allegedly confessed to cheating multiple politicians in different states. Police claimed he admitted to defrauding two political figures in Jaipur of Rs 1.90 crore and Rs 12 lakh respectively. He is also accused of cheating a politician based in Patna of Rs 3 lakh using the same method of impersonation and false promises of political influence.
Investigators suspect the fraud network had been operating for a long period and believe several victims may still not have come forward due to fear of embarrassment or reputational damage. Officials stated that many politicians and aspirants may have avoided reporting such incidents publicly because the fraud involved promises linked to election tickets and internal party positions.
Police also disclosed that Kumar allegedly operated with the assistance of at least three associates identified as Chajju, Rajat Mada, and Maninder Singh Kalu. All three are currently absconding, and police teams are conducting raids and search operations to locate them. Authorities believe the associates played important roles in collecting money, arranging meetings, and helping the accused evade detection.
During the arrest, police recovered two mobile phones and a data dongle from the accused. Investigators believe the electronic devices may contain crucial evidence, including contact details of victims, financial records, communication history, and other information connected to the fraud network.
Officials stated that the arrest has exposed what appears to be a significant political fraud racket operating across multiple states. Police are now attempting to trace additional victims, follow financial transaction trails, and identify whether more individuals were involved in facilitating the scam. Authorities indicated that further arrests are likely as the investigation into the interstate cheating network continues.
