Gujarat ATS arrests Congress leader's son for forged second passport in ED case
Synopsis
An Ahmedabad businessman and son of a Gujarat Mahila Congress President allegedly paid ₹25 lakh to forge documents, file a fake 'lost passport' complaint, and obtain a second passport from a Ghaziabad office — all while his original passport sat with a court in an ED money-laundering case. He then reportedly used it to travel through Bhutan, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai before being caught by the Gujarat ATS.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat ATS arrested Harikesh Patel , son of Gujarat Mahila Congress President Geetaben Patel , from the Science City area of Ahmedabad .
His original passport, number S2528999 , had been deposited with a court in the ED Power Bank App money-laundering case .
He allegedly paid ₹25 lakh to a Delhi-based agent to obtain a second passport, number C0538007 , from the Ghaziabad RPO on 26 July 2024 , using forged rental agreements and a false address in Agra, Uttar Pradesh .
Patel allegedly used the second passport to travel to Bhutan, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai before re-entering India through Nepal .
A case was registered on 13 September 2026 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Passports Act, 1967; Patel has two prior criminal cases from 2022 and 2023.
The ATS is also probing multiple companies registered in Patel's name for potential money-laundering and shell company activities.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Harikesh Patel, an Ahmedabad-based businessman and son of Gujarat Mahila Congress President Geetaben Patel, for allegedly procuring a second Indian passport through forged documents after his original passport was deposited with a court in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) money-laundering case. The arrest, made from the Science City area of Ahmedabad, follows a confidential tip received by ATS Police Inspector J.P. Rojiya.
How the Second Passport Was Allegedly Obtained
Harikesh Patel held an original Indian passport, number S2528999, which had been deposited with the court during proceedings in the ED's Power Bank App money-laundering case. According to the ATS, Patel allegedly concealed this fact and lodged a complaint with the Delhi Crime Branch claiming his passport had been lost.
Using this police report alongside forged documents — including fabricated rental agreements falsely showing addresses in Delhi and Agra — Patel allegedly applied for and received a second passport, number C0538007, from the Ghaziabad Regional Passport Office (RPO) on 26 July 2024. The application listed his address as 37/526, Chandranagar, Nagalpadi, Dayalbagh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
Investigators allege that Patel paid ₹25 lakh to a Delhi-based agent — introduced through a friend in Dubai — to arrange the forged paperwork. The ATS is now actively working to trace this agent.
Foreign Travel and the Attempt to Evade Arrest
The ATS has alleged that Patel's motive for obtaining the second passport was to travel abroad and avoid arrest. According to investigators, after his anticipatory bail in the ED case was revoked and he approached the Delhi High Court challenging that revocation, Patel allegedly used the second passport to travel through Bhutan to Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai, before re-entering India via Nepal.
'During verification, we found that the confidential information we got was true,' Gujarat ATS SP K. Siddharth said, confirming the arrest.
Charges Filed and Prior Cases
A case was registered at the ATS police station on 13 September 2026 under Sections 336(2), 337, 338, 339 and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 12(1)(b) of the Passports Act, 1967. This is not Patel's first brush with the law — he has two prior cases on record.
An FIR registered at Naranpura police station in 2022 invokes Sections 406, 420, 477A and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, Section 66(d) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Sections 447 and 448 of the Companies Act, 2013. A second case was registered by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in 2023 under Sections 406, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC.
Shell Companies and Financial Activities Under Scrutiny
Beyond the passport fraud, the ATS is examining Patel's broader business and financial dealings. SP Siddharth said preliminary findings indicate that 'a large number of factories and companies are registered in his name — some are genuinely operating, while some appear to have been created merely as fake companies.'
Investigators are probing whether these entities were used for money transfers, money-mule account operations, or to facilitate money-laundering activities. The ATS said Patel has two previous criminal cases registered against him, and further investigation will determine the full extent of the alleged fraud network.
Point of View
Obtained a second document from a Ghaziabad office, and used it to travel across four countries, all while his original passport sat in a Gujarat court. The fact that the Ghaziabad Regional Passport Office had no visibility into an active ED court order in Gujarat points to a structural gap that a single, real-time national passport-court database could close. The political dimension — Patel's mother heads the Gujarat Mahila Congress — will inevitably attract scrutiny, but the more durable question is systemic: how many others may have exploited the same interoperability gap?
NationPress
16 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Harikesh Patel arrested by the Gujarat ATS?
Harikesh Patel was arrested for allegedly obtaining a second Indian passport through forged documents and a false police complaint, after his original passport had been deposited with a court during an ED money-laundering case. The Gujarat ATS registered the case on 13 September 2026 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Passports Act, 1967.
How did Patel allegedly get a second passport despite the court deposit?
According to the ATS, Patel first filed a 'lost passport' complaint with the Delhi Crime Branch, then used that report along with forged rental agreements — falsely showing addresses in Delhi and Agra — to apply for a new passport at the Ghaziabad Regional Passport Office, which issued passport number C0538007 on 26 July 2024. He allegedly paid ₹25 lakh to a Delhi-based agent to arrange the forged documents.
Who is Harikesh Patel's political connection?
Harikesh Patel is the son of Geetaben Patel, the President of Gujarat Mahila Congress. The ATS has not attributed any role to Geetaben Patel in the alleged fraud; the investigation centres on Harikesh Patel and his associates.
What countries did Patel allegedly travel to using the second passport?
The ATS alleged that Patel used the fraudulently obtained passport to travel through Bhutan to Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai, before returning to India via Nepal — all while his anticipatory bail in the ED case had been revoked.
What other cases are registered against Harikesh Patel?
Patel has two prior criminal cases: one at Naranpura police station in 2022 under sections of the IPC, the IT Act, and the Companies Act, and another by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in 2023 under multiple IPC sections related to fraud and forgery. The ATS is also investigating companies registered in his name for possible money-laundering links.
