Kashmiri man held in Odisha for impersonating PMO official, army doctor

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a Kashmiri man on the charge of cheating people by impersonating a PMO official and an Army doctor on Saturday, December 16.

The 37-year-old man, who allegedly has links with several people in Pakistan and suspicious elements in Kerala, he also married a number of women in several states, STF IG JN Pankaj said here.

Following a tip-off, the STF arrested the accused, identified as Sayed Ishaan Bukhari alias Ishaan Bukhari alias Dr. Ishaan Bukhari, in Neulpur village in Jajpur district, a day earlier.

“The accused was found to be impersonating a neurosurgeon, an Army doctor, an officer in the PMO, a close associate of high-ranking NIA officials, and others. Numerous forged documents, like medical degree certificates issued by Cornel University of the USA, the Canadian Health Services Institute, and others, were also seized,” Pankaj told reporters.

This apart, several affidavits, bonds, ATM cards, blank checks, Aadhaar cards, and visiting cards were also seized from the man, who hails from the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.

“It was also found that the accused has married at least 6-7 women from various parts of India, including Kashmir, UP, Maharashtra, and Odisha,” Pankaj said.

Impersonating a doctor with international degrees, he was also in romantic relationships with a number of women, the police official said.

Pankaj said that it seems that the accused is also wanted by Kashmir Police in connection with a case of cheating and forgery, and one non-bailable warrant is pending against him.

He was allegedly in touch with several Pakistani nationals and some suspicious people in Kerala.

To a question, Panjkaj said that the STF did not find any link with ISI.

“A joint team of police from Punjab, Kashmir, and Odisha will interrogate him,” Pankaj said.