Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 8: A 24-year-old man posing as an official of the Prime Minister’s Office, and his so-called “Bodyguard” armed with a gun, were detained when they tried to break the security cordon at a venue in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai on Monday where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit to attend an event on Tuesday evening.
According to sources, the two men were detained late of Monday night during a security protocol drill. Giving details of the arrest, Mumbai Police said a firearm was recovered from the so-called bodyguard. Claiming to be an official from the Prime Minister’s Office, the 24-year-old man gained entry at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in BKC.
“Three men allegedly used a suspicious government ID card and forced their way, armed with a firearm, past mall security into Jio World Plaza, BKC,” the police said in a statement, adding that an FIR has been filed. “The weapon has been found to be licensed and two persons are arrested in this regard,” the police said, underscoring that the incident took place yesterday and has no connection with PM Modi’s visit today.
The detentions, however, triggered a security alert ahead of the Prime Minister’s arrival. The development came after one of the men allegedly tried to enter the venue using a fake identity card. The police said the arrested person was identified as Rohan Parekh. He was reportedly carrying fake identity documents while trying to enter the venue on Monday when police noticed him and stopped him for checking. A gun was also recovered from his bodyguard, who was detained along with him.
Police said Parekh was trying to enter the NMACC venue using an identity card which on checking was found to be a fake one. The detentions triggered a security alert just hours ahead of the Prime Minister’s arrival. PM Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) at the NMACC on Tuesday evening. Following the incident, a case was registered at the BKC police station against Parekh and his “bodyguard.”
Security personnel and police officers deployed at the high-security venue intercepted the duo after noticing their suspicious behaviour. As the young man could not produce any credentials, he and his bodyguard were detained and later handed over to Mumbai Police for detailed interrogation.
The Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) as well as local police are conducting further probe, the official said. The probe will examine the circumstances surrounding the fake identity documents and the presence of the armed bodyguard at the venue. The two detained persons are being questioned to determine their motive for entering the venue with a gun and fake identity documents. Their mobile phones, identity documents and other belongings are also being examined. Further legal action will be taken after the allegations are verified during the investigation, police said.
At the venue, Mr Modi will inaugurate Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026, described as one of the world’s largest and most influential annual fintech conferences. The theme of the four-day GFF 2026 is “Potential to Impact: Agentic AI, Tokenisation, Quantum – Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance.”