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Kashmir man who posed as PMO official held in Odisha

Sayed Ishaan Bukhari, alias Ishaan Bukhari, aka Dr Ishaan Bukhari, from Kupwara in Kashmir, was arrested by state criminal investigation department officers from Neulpur area in Jajpur district

Updated on: Dec 17, 2023, 05:10:18 IST
By , Bhubaneswar
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A 37-year-old man from Kashmir, who variously called himself a neurologist, an army doctor, an official in the Prime Minister’s office and a close associate of some high-ranking National Investigation Agency officials, was arrested by special task force officers from Jajpur district on Saturday.

Bukhari married 6-7 girls from various parts of India, including Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, police said (iStock)
Bukhari married 6-7 girls from various parts of India, including Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, police said (iStock)

Sayed Ishaan Bukhari, alias Ishaan Bukhari, aka Dr Ishaan Bukhari, from Kupwara in Kashmir, was arrested by state criminal investigation department officers from Neulpur area in Jajpur district.

“He was wanted by Kashmir police in relation to a case of cheating and forgery and one non-bailable warrant is pending against him,” said Jai Narayan Pankaj, inspector general of police.

Police have seized several forged documents, and multiple ID, Aadhaar and debit cards from him. Four mobile phones seized from the accused will be sent for examination to collect information about chats and links, police said.

Bukhari married 6-7 girls from various parts of India, including Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, police said. He was also active on various websites and was in romantic relationships with many girls while impersonating a doctor with international degrees.

The accused had some links with anti-national elements, but his exact role needs a detailed investigation. “We have ample evidence against the accused being a fraudster. It is too early to say anything regarding his involvement in terror plots, but he had some links with Pakistan and it will be verified. We cannot rule out that he was a Pakistani spy. But as of now, we do not have much evidence. However, we are in touch with the NIA,” Pankaj said.

  • Debabrata Mohanty
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Debabrata Mohanty

    Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More