Patiala, July 10 -- Police on Wednesday arrested a person for impersonating a close associate of AAP's Punjab affairs in-charge and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. The accused, identified as Jai Kishan Bharadwaj of Santosh Colony, Dharuhera in Haryana's Rewari district, allegedly used an old mobile number once associated with Sisodia to establish false connections with political leaders, bureaucrats and lawmakers across Punjab, seeking to manipulate them for personal gains. The arrest stems from Bharadwaj's involvement in submitting fake bail bonds and forged sureties in various courts across Punjab to help habitual offenders secure bail. During police interrogation, Bharadwaj's fraudulent activities came to light, including his use of Sisodia's old mobile number to build a fake identity. Patiala senior superintendent of police Varun Sharma said Bharadwaj had used a mobile number previously owned by Manish Sisodia in an attempt to gain trust and influence within political circles. According to the SSP, Bharadwaj deliberately acquired the number from a Vodafone connection, having learned that it had once been linked to Sisodia. The accused, believing that the number would lend him credibility, used it to deceive various political and bureaucratic figures, promising to "get their work done" in exchange for money or favours. "We recovered five mobile phones from his possession, one of which contained the number once used by Sisodia. His intention was to use this association to exploit people for financial gain," the SSP said. The investigation also revealed that Bharadwaj has a criminal history. In 2017, he was convicted in FIR No. 459/2017 by the Dharuhera Police (Haryana), where he had posed as a CBI officer and duped a woman of several lakh rupees. He was sentenced to three years in prison for the crime. Following his arrest, a fresh case of impersonation has been registered against Bharadwaj under Sections 319(2), 318(4) of the BNS, and various sections of the IT Act (66, 66C, and 66D) at the Kotwali police station in Patiala. The police are continuing their investigation to identify other potential victims and associates involved in the forgery racket. Bharadwaj is currently on police remand, and further interrogations are expected to uncover more details about the extent of his fraud. The case sheds light on the growing issue of fraudsters exploiting high-profile political identities to gain influence and defraud the public....