Newspaper editor to fake ‘PMO official’: This J&K man ‘duped’ people of Rs 4 crore

Vijay Gupta, a 49-year-old founder-editor of a local English daily in Jammu and Kashmir, had been seen frequently with the political and administrative elite of the region. Despite his seemingly influential position, he had struggled financially. His father had helped him establish a transformer assembly business, but his venture soon failed.

Vijay then turned to selling locally manufactured batteries and later began publishing a weekly newspaper called Young Bites. This newspaper later evolved into an English daily in 2013. Vijay's fake persona as a high-ranking government official allowed him to engage in foreign trips and receive large sums of money, which he claimed was for getting work done.

His extensive use of false credentials, foreign trips, and photographs with public officials were a key part of the persona he built. Despite being arrested, Vijay's life had been characterized by a growing lifestyle that included branded clothes, expensive footwear, and electronic items. He also owned several cars and had properties in Jammu and Delhi.