Hitesh Pandya, an additional public relations officer (PRO) in the Gujarat chief minister's office (CMO) who resigned from his post over his son's alleged links with conman Kiran Patel said that the latter has no links in the CM House.

Pandya, while talking to ANI said that he was just an "acquaintance" to Patel and at present, there was no business dealing with Patel and his son. "I don't think Kiran Patel had any links in CM House. My son and Kiran Patel were acquaintances and used to work in a company together in 2004. There were no business dealings between them," Pandya told ANI on Saturday.

Talking about his resignation from his post, Pandya said that he resigned as all the "rumoured linkage" between him and Patel would have affected the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister.

"In the case of Kiran Patel, my name and my son's name were linked with him. I thought all misinformation spread with our names will affect PM Modi and CM's image. Thus, I gave my resignation to CM," he added.

Pandya, a senior official in the Gujarat Chief Minister's office, resigned on Friday evening over his son's alleged links with Patel weeks after alleged conman Kiran J Patel from Gujarat was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir for posing as a high-ranking official from the Prime Minister Office (PMO).

His son, Amit Pandya, was summoned for questioning in the case involving Kiran Patel pretending to be a PMO official.

J-K police arrested Pandya on March 3.

According to the police statement, on March 2, 2023, the CID wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police gave information to the Police about the arrival of an impersonator in Kashmir.

A team of Jammu and Kashmir Police rushed to the hotel where the man was staying, the statement added.

The man was identified as Kiran Patel a resident of Ahmadabad, Gujarat who was impersonating himself as Additional Director (Strategy and campaigns) PMO New Delhi, the statement said.

As his replies were found suspicious, he was taken to Police Station Nishat wherein he admitted his crime. Ten fake visiting cards and two mobiles were seized from him, the statement added.

Cases under sections 419,420,467,468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were registered in Police Station Nishat on March 2, 2023, and the investigation was taken up.

According to the statement, a team of SP East Srinagar, SDPO Nehru Park, and SHO Nishat are leading the investigation.

The accused Kiran Bhai Patel was arrested on March 3, 2023, and is in police remand up to March 17, 2023, the statement added.

Many relevant persons have been examined in this case. The case is at the initial stage of the investigation. Further details of this case will be shared later on, the statement said. (ANI)