The Mumbai Crime Branch has filed a detailed 689-page chargesheet against Akhtar Qutubuddin Hussaini alias Alexander Palmer (60), who allegedly posed as a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to cheat people and extort money. Hussaini was arrested on October 17. Investigators said he used a fake identity to mislead people, falsely claiming access to confidential information and collecting money on that pretext.
The chargesheet reveals the recovery of a large number of forged documents and exposes the accused’s foreign links, including visits to Pakistan and the Middle East, raising serious security concerns.
A resident of Yari Road in Versova, Mumbai, Hussaini projected himself as a nuclear scientist using fake identities. Police recovered two forged identity cards from his possession—one in the name of Alexander Palmer and another in the name of Ali Raza Hussaini.
According to the Crime Branch, Munazzir Nazimuddin Khan was also involved in the forgery racket. Between 2016 and 2017, Khan allegedly prepared three fake passports along with educational certificates, Aadhaar cards and PAN cards for Hussaini. Khan was arrested on October 25 from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.
The accused have been booked under several serious sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including cheating by impersonation (Section 319), various offences of forgery (Sections 336, 337 and 338), possession of forged documents (Section 339) and using forged documents as genuine (Section 340).
During interrogation, Hussaini allegedly attempted to mislead investigators by claiming that his parents and all three brothers were dead. Co-accused Khan also supported this claim. However, a probe by the Delhi Police Special Cell revealed that Hussaini’s brother, Adil Hussaini, is alive and was arrested in Delhi. Police said Adil is originally from Tatanagar in Jharkhand and has made several trips to Pakistan and the Middle East, further adding to the gravity of the case.
Investigating agencies said Hussaini had a strong fascination with physics and espionage and often portrayed himself as either an intelligence agent or a nuclear expert. He had previously worked with oil and marketing companies in the Middle East. In 2004, he was deported from Dubai amid suspicion that he was attempting to sell sensitive India-related information, though no conclusive criminal evidence was found at the time.
Police said Hussaini used his fake scientific identity to meet foreign nationals, travel abroad and extract money by claiming access to confidential information. Maps and other suspicious documents were also seized from him. The investigation is ongoing.
The Mumbai Crime Branch is now searching for another accused, Mohammad Ilyas Mohammad Ismail, a resident of Jamshedpur, who is alleged to have assisted Hussaini in preparing forged documents. Police believe further arrests could expose the full extent of the forgery and impersonation network.