Man posing as Rahul Gandhi's aide defrauds politicians of lakhs across 3 states: Police

Dehradun Police have arrested a man accused of impersonating an aide of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and cheating political leaders across multiple states by promising party positions and election tickets. The accused, identified as Gaurav Kumar from Amritsar, was arrested in Uttarakhand after Congress leader Bhavna Pandey alleged that he had cheated her of Rs 25 lakh. Police stated that Kumar posed as Kanishk Singh, a former personal secretary associated with Rahul Gandhi, to gain credibility among party leaders.

According to the complaint filed at Rajpur Police Station, the accused contacted Bhavna Pandey and allegedly promised to secure her an important position within the Congress party. Pandey stated that the caller introduced himself as Kanishk Singh and claimed that senior Congress leaders and MLAs were staying at a hotel in Dehradun. She alleged that the accused demanded Rs 25 lakh to cover expenses and facilitate political support. On April 13, an associate of the accused allegedly collected the cash from her residence in the Jakhan area before communication with the accused stopped.

Police registered a case under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched an investigation using mobile surveillance, CCTV footage and local intelligence inputs. Investigators stated that Kumar used Google and political websites to collect information about senior leaders and aspiring politicians. Police alleged that he created a fake Truecaller identity in the name of Kanishk Singh and contacted political workers by presenting himself as a trusted insider capable of arranging election tickets and organisational posts.

According to investigators, Kumar was intercepted near a mall in Dehradun while allegedly attempting to collect money from another political functionary in exchange for an election ticket. During interrogation, police said the accused admitted to cheating two politicians in Jaipur of Rs 1.90 crore and Rs 12 lakh in 2017 and another political worker in Patna of Rs 3 lakh in 2025. Police also stated that several victims may not have reported the fraud due to concerns over reputational damage.

Police said the accused operated with the assistance of associates identified as Chajju, Rajat Mada and Maninder Singh Kalu, who are currently absconding. Two mobile phones and a data dongle were recovered from the accused during the arrest. Investigators stated that further inquiries are underway to trace additional victims, examine financial transactions and identify the wider network allegedly involved in the multi-state fraud operation.