Police arrested two men and seized a revolver and six live cartridges after the security breach at Jio World Plaza in Mumbai (Img: Mumbai Police)
Mumbai: The case involving a 24-year-old man arrested with a fake Prime Minister's Office (PMO) identity card in Mumbai has taken an unexpected turn. His lawyer has claimed that the accused himself was allegedly duped into believing he had been appointed to a PMO-related position.
Rohan Parikh and his bodyguard, Dilip Kunde, were arrested on Monday night from a shopping mall in Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex. Parikh allegedly had a fake PMO identity card, while Kunde was carrying a gun.
The arrests came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled appearance at the Global Fintech Fest 2026.
During the court proceedings, Parikh's lawyer argued that the 24-year-old student had been framed and was a victim of an elaborate fraud.
According to the defence, a man identified as Tarun Kapoor or Gupta approached Parikh in December 2024 and allegedly offered him an advisory position. The accused was reportedly sent an offer letter along with a photograph of a PMO identity card.
The lawyer claimed Parikh never received an actual physical ID card. He was allegedly told to arrange a personal security guard, following which he hired Kunde.
The incident reportedly began when security personnel at Jio World Plaza objected to Kunde carrying a gun inside the mall. During the confrontation, Parikh allegedly showed security guards a digital image of a PMO identity card on his phone.
The security staff became suspicious and alerted the police.
Police later clarified that the incident was not connected to Prime Minister Modi's scheduled programme.
Police have sought custody of the two accused to investigate the source of the forged PMO credential and trace a third accused, Prathamesh Bagul, 26, who remains absconding.
The magistrate has remanded Parikh and Kunde to police custody until September 11 as the investigation continues.
