Mumbai Police Arrest Man Who Impersonated BARC Scientist for Two Decades Using Multiple Identities

Law enforcement agencies had been monitoring Akhtar for some time prior to his arrest. (Representational)

Mumbai authorities have arrested a 60-year-old man who was falsely presenting himself as a scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). During their investigation, police recovered maps, documents, counterfeit degrees, and passports from his possession.

The suspect, identified as Akhtar Hussain Qutubuddin Ahmed, was apprehended on Friday by local authorities.

Investigators discovered that Akhtar had created two fraudulent identification cards that he utilized to represent himself as a BARC employee. One card bore the name Ali Raza Hussain, while the other identified him as Alexander Palmer.

Mumbai Police Crime Branch officers conducted a raid on Ahmed's residence in Versova, where they uncovered falsified educational credentials, fraudulent identification cards, multiple mobile phones, and USB storage devices.

Authorities also discovered 14 maps in Ahmed's possession and are currently investigating his motives for collecting them.

Before adopting the Alexander Palmer persona, Akhtar had worked for companies in the Middle East. In 2004, he was deported from Dubai following an arrest for allegedly attempting to sell sensitive information about India to Arab diplomats, though subsequent investigations cleared him of these charges.

For approximately two decades, Akhtar lived under the Alexander Palmer identity, which he used for international travel. The investigation revealed that he had managed to obtain three passports under the Palmer name. Additionally, he secured government identification documents including Aadhaar, PAN, and a driving license using this false identity.

His international travels have triggered concerns among security agencies, who suspect these journeys may be connected to the trafficking of sensitive nuclear information or espionage activities.

During the search of Akhtar's Versova residence, police discovered falsified Class 10 and Class 12 examination records, counterfeit BSc, BTech, and MBA degrees, as well as numerous fabricated employment reference letters. All these documents featured the Alexander Palmer name.

Law enforcement officials are now conducting a comprehensive investigation to trace Akhtar's travel history, contacts, and his connections to various individuals and organizations.