The accused, identified as Gaurav Kumar from Amritsar, was taken into custody in Dehradun after police alleged that he posed as Kanishk Singh, a former secretary to Rahul Gandhi, to gain the trust of Congress leaders and collect money in exchange for promises of party posts and election tickets.
According to police, Kumar used a fake Truecaller profile in Kanishk Singh’s name and contacted Congress leaders in states including Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar. Investigators claim he created an elaborate network of deception by using recordings of voices purported to be senior Congress leaders during phone calls.
Complaint That Exposed the Fraud
The case surfaced after Dehradun-based Congress leader Bhavana Pandey filed a complaint at Rajpur police station on May 3. She alleged that Kumar cheated her of ₹25 lakh by promising her a senior position within the party.
Pandey told police that Kumar claimed the Congress high command was unhappy with Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal and that funds were needed to facilitate leadership changes in the state unit. Believing his claims, she allegedly handed over the money through one of Kumar’s associates.
Police said Kumar later stopped responding to calls and messages after receiving the payment.
Arrest in Dehradun
Investigators said Kumar was arrested from Dehradun’s Jakhan area while allegedly attempting to collect money from another Congress office-bearer.
Superintendent of Police (City) Pramod Kumar confirmed that the accused has been sent to 14-day judicial custody. Police are preparing to seek police custody remand for further interrogation and to uncover the full extent of the operation.
Authorities also named Kumar’s alleged associates as Chajju, Rajat Mada, and Maninder Singh Kalu, all reportedly from Punjab.
Multiple Cases Across States
Police claim Kumar has been involved in similar frauds for several years.
Investigators allege that in Jaipur in 2017, he cheated two Congress leaders of ₹1.90 crore and ₹12 lakh while posing as Rahul Gandhi’s secretary. In another case registered in Patna in 2025, he allegedly duped a Congress leader of ₹3 lakh using the same method.
Officials said cases had already been registered against him in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Bihar before his latest arrest.
More Victims Suspected
Police believe the number of victims could be significantly higher. Another Congress leader, Sonia Anand Rawat, was also reportedly approached for money by the accused.
Investigators said Kumar gathered detailed information about political leaders through publicly available platforms such as myneta.info to make his impersonation appear convincing.
According to reports, Kumar comes from a financially weak background and is married with two children. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the total amount of money involved and identify additional victims linked to the alleged scam.
