MUMBAI: A local court in Mumbai on Friday remanded two men to 14-day judicial custody following their arrest for allegedly forcing their way into a luxury shopping mall in the city’s prominent Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) area. The accused were found carrying a firearm and a fake identity card purporting to belong to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The accused individuals have been identified as Rohan Parikh (24) and Dilip Kunde (49). They were produced before a magistrate court at the conclusion of their initial police custody.
Seeking an extension of their custody, the prosecution argued that the fake documents were fabricated using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and that investigators needed to probe whether these papers had been used elsewhere or presented to other entities.
However, defense counsel Satish Maneshinde opposed the remand extension, contending that both accused had already confessed to creating the documents independently and that no third party was involved in the forgery.
The Incident The high-security scare unfolded on September 7 at the Jio World Plaza mall in BKC—just a day prior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled appearance at the adjacent Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre for the Global Fintech Fest 2026.
According to police reports, trouble began when Kunde, who was accompanying Parikh, was found carrying a firearm, leading to a heated argument between the duo and the mall’s security personnel. During the altercation, Parikh allegedly attempted to intimidate the staff by claiming he was a high-ranking PMO official and flashing the forged identification card.
Motive and Security Clarification Police later clarified that the incident had no direct connection to the Prime Minister's scheduled event the following day. During subsequent interrogations, Parikh reportedly confessed that he manufactured the fake credentials simply to convince his family that he was associated with a prestigious role and working for the PMO.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the acquisition and creation of the AI-generated credentials, while both accused remain behind bars awaiting further legal proceedings.
