Fake PMO official, 'bodyguard' with gun detained ahead of PM Modi's Mumbai event

The detentions come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Jio World Centre in BKC on Tuesday to inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest 2026.

In Short

• Suspect, Rohan Parekh, had a forged PMO identity card
• A gun was recovered from the bodyguard accompanying him
• Mumbai Crime Branch investigating the security breach

Two men have been arrested for allegedly entering Mumbai’s Jio World Plaza using a suspicious government identity card, with one of them carrying a licensed firearm, police said.

The incident occurred on Monday evening, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai, though police clarified that it had no connection with the Prime Minister’s programme.

The accused have been identified as Rohan Parekh, who reportedly runs a drone technology business, and his bodyguard, Dilip Kunde. Parekh was produced before a court and remanded to police custody until September 11. Police are searching for a third person allegedly involved in the incident.

According to investigators, Parekh entered the premises in Bandra Kurla Complex while preparations for an event were underway. Kunde, who arrived later carrying a firearm, was stopped by security personnel after the weapon was detected during screening through a Door Frame Metal Detector.

Kunde then contacted Parekh, who returned to the entrance and showed security personnel an identity card purportedly issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. The card described Parekh as a “Grade C official”.

Security personnel became suspicious after noticing several irregularities in the card. It carried a date of issue but no validity date. It also bore the purported issuer’s signature without mentioning the official’s designation.

The men allegedly used the questionable identity card to pressure security personnel into allowing them inside. The firearm recovered from Kunde was subsequently found to be licensed.

An FIR was registered at the BKC Police Station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to impersonating a public servant and unlawfully entering premises while carrying a weapon.

The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation. Officers are examining CCTV footage from the premises to reconstruct the movements of the accused and determine why they entered the venue using the purported PMO identity card.

Police have stressed that the incident took place on September 7 and was unrelated to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Mumbai on September 8.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the seventh edition of the Global Fintech Fest 2026 and address a gathering at the Jio World Centre.

The conference, which runs until September 11, brings together policymakers, regulators, financial institutions, technology companies and investors. Discussions will focus on emerging technologies such as agentic artificial intelligence, tokenisation and quantum computing.

- Ends