Man used AI tools to forge PMO ID and documents before arrest at Mumbai mall

Artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT was allegedly used to fabricate a fake Prime Minister’s Office identity card and other purported official documents recovered from a 24-year-old man arrested at a luxury mall in Mumbai ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, police told a local court on Friday.

The submission was made before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate D S Khedekar at the Esplanade Court as the police remand of primary accused Rohan Parikh and his associate Dilip Kunde, 49, ended. Police sought further custodial interrogation, but the court rejected the request and remanded both men to 14 days of judicial custody. The duo subsequently moved bail applications, which are scheduled to be heard on September 17 after the prosecution files its response.

Police allege AI used to forge documents

Detailing the alleged fabrication, police told the court that a search of Parikh’s residence led to the recovery of multiple forged documents in English purportedly linked to the PMO. Investigators alleged that the documents had been created with the help of ChatGPT.

“Parikh has confessed to fabricating the fake PMO ID and related official documents using ChatGPT since 2025 to elevate his social standing and boost his self-esteem within his family and social circles,” police submitted in their remand application.

Investigators also told the court that data extracted from Parikh’s mobile phone revealed search history connected with drafting purported PMO correspondence. Police sought additional custody to determine whether the allegedly forged identity card and documents had been used at other places.

The court, however, found that the grounds mentioned in the remand report did not justify extending police custody, noting that electronic devices and other relevant material had already been seized.

Former Army man carried revolver

Police also raised questions over Kunde, a former Army personnel who was accompanying Parikh when the two were detained. A revolver was recovered from Kunde, who allegedly admitted that his personal-use firearm was being used commercially while he worked as a professional bodyguard for Parikh.

Appearing for the accused, advocate Satish Maneshinde argued that the two had admitted preparing the documents themselves and that no third party was involved. He submitted that police had already seized their mobile phones, laptop and various documents and that nothing further remained to be recovered from them.

After hearing both sides, the court declined the police request for further custodial interrogation and sent Parikh and Kunde to judicial custody.

Mall argument led to arrest

The case stems from an incident at Jio World Plaza in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex on September 7, a day before Modi was scheduled to attend the Global Fintech Fest 2026 at the nearby Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre.

According to police, mall security personnel found Kunde carrying a firearm, leading to an argument involving him and Parikh. During the confrontation, Parikh allegedly claimed that he was an official of the PMO and produced the purported identity card.

Police subsequently arrested Parikh over the alleged fake credential and took Kunde into custody. Investigators later clarified that the episode had no connection with the Prime Minister’s scheduled programme the following day.

Accused calls it ‘victimless crime’

In his bail application, Parikh claimed that he had visited the mall for purely personal reasons and was unaware of either the Prime Minister’s upcoming programme or newly imposed prohibitory orders. His plea described the episode as a “victimless crime”, arguing that nobody had suffered harm or injury.

Parikh also cited health concerns while seeking bail. The application said he was born prematurely and spent six months in incubation and has had loss of vision in his left eye since birth. It further claimed that he suffered a severe slipped-disc injury earlier this year, restricting his movement and requiring complete bed rest.

The plea argued that Parikh was “at the cusp of his transition from a student to a professional” and that prolonged incarceration could affect his mental health and damage his nascent career.

With both accused now in judicial custody, the prosecution has been directed to respond to their bail pleas before the next hearing on September 17. The investigation into whether the allegedly forged PMO documents were used elsewhere is continuing.