A 24-year-old man arrested earlier this week for allegedly using a fake Prime Minister's Office (PMO) card at a luxury shopping mall in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) has claimed he wanted to impress his family and convince them he was working for a "worthy cause", a police official said on Thursday.
Rohan Parikh was arrested with a fake PMO card after the man accompanying him, identified as Dilip Kunde, 49, was found carrying a firearm and an argument broke out between the duo and security staff at Jio World Plaza mall.
During the argument, Parikh allegedly claimed he was a PMO official. The incident took place on September 7, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's event at the adjacent Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre.
Investigators suspect Parikh used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to forge the digital PMO identity card and are verifying the technical details, the official said.
"During questioning, Parikh claimed he wanted to convince his family he was associated with a worthy cause and working for the PMO. However, we are not convinced by this explanation and are actively examining other potential motives," the official said.
Parikh's claim that he received an email in 2024 confirming his selection for a role at the PMO is also being probed, the official added.
According to police, Parikh, Kunde and another person, identified as Prathamesh Bagul, gained entry to the upscale shopping mall after Parikh presented the digital PMO ID to security staff. The trio subsequently purchased a perfume and a wallet before leaving the premises.
Efforts are under way to arrest Bagul, the official said.
Parikh and Kunde have been remanded in police custody until September 11.
(With inputs from PTI)
