Mumbai: Fake 'BARC Scientist's' 'Deceased' Brother Arrested in Alleged Spy Network

The decades-long saga of the fake 'BARC scientist', Akhtar Hussain Kutubuddin Ahmed (alias 'Alexander Palmer'), has taken a horrifying and disturbing turn. It has now been revealed that his activities may not have been merely a high-stakes fraud, but potentially part of a sophisticated, family-operated network linked to foreign intelligence agencies.

In a dramatic joint operation, the Delhi Police Special Cell, in coordination with the Mumbai Crime Branch, has arrested the alleged scientist’s brother—a man whom Akhtar Hussain had purportedly told police was deceased.

The arrested brother has been identified as Adil Hussaini alias Syed Adil Hussain alias Mohammed Adil Hussaini alias Naseemuddin. The 59-year-old Adil was apprehended yesterday from Seemapuri, Delhi. He was immediately produced in court and placed under seven days of police remand with the Delhi Police Special Cell.

According to Special Cell sources, Adil Hussaini is suspected of providing sensitive information to foreign countries and obtaining multiple Indian passports using forged documents, in collaboration with his brother, Akhtar Hussaini. This shocking revelation elevates the entire matter from a large-scale forgery case to one of national security and a possible family-run espionage racket.

Akhtar Hussain Kutubuddin Ahmed, who is currently in the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch, had built a fake identity as 'Alexander Palmer' over 20 years. This elaborate deception included forged academic degrees, three passports, and a long trail of government documents. Investigators have now discovered that the scientist’s brother, Adil Hussaini, is not only alive but was allegedly deeply involved in parallel criminal activities. This exposes a new layer of deliberate deceit, as Akhtar Hussain had informed the Mumbai Crime Branch that his brother was dead.

Upon Adil Hussaini’s arrest, the Delhi Special Cell seized multiple forged documents, including one original passport and two forged passport copies. This mirrors the discovery of numerous fake travel documents recovered from his brother 'Palmer'. Adil has been formally arrested under serious sections related to national security at the Delhi Special Cell police station. The Special Cell’s concern is heightened by intelligence that Adil Hussaini “provided some sensitive information and travelled abroad multiple times.”

The investigation has honed in on the use of a shared address. It was found that Akhtar Hussain had purchased a house in Jamshedpur several years ago, which he sold four years later. Sources indicate that Hussaini procured a passport for his brother, Adil, at this same address. The fabrication of multiple forged passports for both brothers using a single 'compromised address' suggests a highly coordinated and systematic approach to their alleged criminal and international activities.

While the Delhi Police investigate the alleged spy network, the Mumbai Crime Branch continues its probe of the main accused, Akhtar Hussaini. The Crime Branch has confirmed that data has been extracted from the accused Hussaini’s mobile phone. The digital evidence has allegedly yielded more troubling content: "Police stated that highly objectionable photographs have been recovered from Hussaini's mobile phone."

While police have not disclosed the exact nature of these photos, this discovery points to another dark facet concerning potential blackmail or other illicit activities. Earlier, the Crime Branch had also recovered 14 maps and critical information related to the nuclear bomb from Hussaini.

The arrest of the 'deceased' brother and the potential espionage angle confirms that the 'Alexander Palmer' case is a deeply concerning national security issue that evaded central intelligence mechanisms for over two decades. Further investigation into the full scope of their global network and the verification of seized documents is ongoing.