Mumbai CIU Arrests Man with Fake BARC ID, Probes Possible National Security Breach

The Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Mumbai Crime Branch, with assistance from central agencies, has arrested 60-year-old Akhtar Hussain Kutubuddin Ahmed and presented him in court, which has remanded him to three days of police custody.

Reliable sources revealed that multiple central investigative agencies are interrogating Ahmed as part of the operation. Senior officials’ teams have set up base at the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office for the questioning.

According to police sources, Ahmed, who posed as a senior BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) scientist, was found in possession of a fake identity card nearly identical to that of a real BARC scientist. In addition, he allegedly forged several documents in the name of BARC and created counterfeit BARC certificates. Using these fake documents, he reportedly conducted transactions with private operators.

Central agencies are investigating whether Ahmed sold any sensitive information to individuals or organizations based abroad. Sources have described this as a matter of national security. Police are verifying several details related to the case, including Ahmed’s foreign trips over the past few years, which have raised multiple suspicions.

Akhtar Hussain Kutubuddin Ahmed was extradited to India from Dubai in 2004. At that time, he had been arrested by Dubai police for allegedly attempting to sell ‘Indian nuclear secrets’ to Arab diplomats. After being taken into custody at Mumbai’s Sahar Airport, Ahmed was immediately handed over to central intelligence agencies for an intensive four-day interrogation.