Mumbai Police Arrest Two With Fake PMO ID, Gun Near PM Event Venue
Two men were arrested near PM Modi's Mumbai event venue with a fake PMO ID and a gun. One suspect claims he was scammed.
Mumbai Police have arrested two men after they were found with a fake Prime Minister's Office (PMO) identity card and a firearm near a venue where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to speak. The incident triggered a security alert in the Bandra Kurla Complex area on Monday night.
The accused have been identified as Rohan Parikh (24) and Dilip Kunde. They were detained at the Jio World Plaza mall, close to the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), where the Prime Minister was to attend an event. Police later clarified that the incident had no connection to the PM's schedule.
According to officials, security personnel stopped the duo when they objected to Kunde carrying a gun inside the mall. During the argument, Parikh reportedly displayed a digital photograph of an ID card on his mobile phone, claiming he was a PMO official. The guards grew suspicious and alerted the police.
In a surprising twist, Parikh's lawyer told the court that his client was the victim of a scam. The defence claimed that an individual named Tarun Kapoor (or Gupta) offered Parikh an advisory role in December 2024, sending an offer letter and a photo of a PMO ID card. The lawyer stated that Parikh, a recent returnee from London, never received a physical copy of the card and was instructed to hire a personal bodyguard, which led him to engage Kunde.
The lawyer further argued that Parikh's visit to the mall was private, solely to purchase perfume and personal items, and that he cooperated fully with security and police.
The duo were produced before a magistrate on Tuesday and remanded to police custody until September 11. Investigators are now probing the origin of the forged credential and are on the lookout for a third accused, identified as Prathamesh Bagul (26), who is currently absconding.