A man is accused of disguise Rahul Gandhi’s secretary who cheated Congress leaders across several states out of millions of rupees is now in custody.
Gaurav Kumar (42) from Amritsar was arrested in Dehradun after collecting money from him Congress leaders pledged party posts and election tickets, PTI reported.
Police say he impersonated Kanishk Singh, who had earlier worked as Gandhi’s secretary, using a fake Truecaller account. A local court sent Kumar to judicial custody for 14 days. Dehradun police said they would seek his custody for further questioning.
“The arrested accused has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days. We are preparing to apply for police remand for further investigation into the case,” Inspector of Police (City) Pramod Kumar said.
The complaint that revealed the process
The issue came to light after a Dehradun-based Congress leader Bhavana Pandey filed a complaint at Rajpur police station on May 3, alleging that she was cheated. $25 lakh.
Pandey told police that Kumar promised to secure her a senior role in the party and even played recordings of voices he claimed were senior Congress leaders during phone calls from a hotel in Dehradun. Convinced by his claims, she handed over the money through one of his accomplices.
According to the police, the accused stopped responding after receiving the money.
Pandey later claimed that Kumar told her that the Congress high command was unhappy with Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godial and that funds were needed to facilitate leadership changes in the state unit.
How the fake “PA” avoided suspicions
Investigators say Kumar built his credibility by creating a fake profile on Truecaller in the name of Kanishk Singh and gathering information on Congress leaders from public sources including myneta.info.
Police allege that he, along with his associates Chaju, Rajat Madha and Maninder Singh Kalu from Punjab, targeted leaders in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.
According to investigators, Kumar was arrested in Dehradun’s Jakhan area while trying to collect money from another Congress worker.
Police said cases have already been registered against him in Haryana, Rajasthan and Bihar. Authorities say the accused came from a poor financial background and was married with two children, according to an Indian Express report.
Previous alleged fraud cases
Police claim that the operation extended over several years.
Investigators allege that in Jaipur in 2017, Kumar defrauded two Congress leaders $1.90 Crores $12 lakh while posing as Gandhi’s secretary. In Patna in 2025, he allegedly cheated another leader $3 lakh.
Police believe there may be more victims. Another Congress leader, Sonia Anand Rawat, was also allegedly approached for money.
(with PTI inputs)
