Fake PMO identity, armed ‘bodyguard’: 2 held ahead of PM Modi's event in Mumbai's BKC

A 24-year-old man who allegedly posed as a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) official was arrested in Mumbai while trying to enter an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, police said on Tuesday.

The man, identified as Rohan Parekh, allegedly arrived at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) with another man who claimed to be his bodyguard and was carrying a firearm.

According to the Mumbai Police, one of the suspects, a 24-year-old man posing as an official from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), attempted to enter the venue on September 7 using a fake identity card.

According to India Today, a Mumbai court remanded Parekh to police custody till September 11.

Security personnel and police deployed at the high-security venue became suspicious after checking Parekh’s documents. His alleged PMO identity card was also found to be suspicious, while he was unable to produce valid credentials, police said.

The duo were detained and later handed over to Mumbai Police for questioning. A firearm was recovered from the man who claimed to be Parekh’s bodyguard, a police official said.

The Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) and local police are conducting further investigation into the incident, the official added.

The Mumbai Police confirmed that both individuals have been taken into custody, and the investigation into the breach has been handed over to the Crime Branch for further probing.

"Two individuals have been detained from the venue in Mumbai where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to attend an event. A gun was recovered from one of the individuals. The Mumbai Police detained a man at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in BKC who was claiming to be an official from the Prime Minister's Office. The detained man is reported to be 24 years old. He was accompanied by a bodyguard who was carrying a gun. The Mumbai Crime Branch is now conducting further investigation into the matter", Mumbai Police said.

PM Modi reviews work of 20 MoS, Ministers with independent charge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a comprehensive review meeting with 20 Union Ministers of State (MoS) and Ministers with Independent Charge at his official residence on Monday evening.

The four-hour session, which began around 5:00 PM, focused on evaluating the progress of key government initiatives, assessing ground-level implementation, and shaping future development strategies, according to sources.

Ministers representing crucial sectors, including Agriculture, Rural Development, Education, and Social Justice, attended the session.

Ministers presented detailed progress reports covering administrative reforms, ongoing public welfare projects, and strategic priorities for their respective departments, according to sources.

The Prime Minister invited actionable ideas and perspective-sharing aligned with the vision for a developed India by 2047. Ministers were encouraged to actively engage with the youth, listen to their ideas, and incorporate public feedback into policy implementation.

Emphasising the importance of modern communication tools, PM Modi urged ministers to maintain an active presence on digital platforms such as X, Facebook, and Instagram to transparently inform citizens about government programs and gather real-time suggestions.

This is not the first time PM Modi has discussed ministers' social media report cards. He has always advised his ministers and MPs to be more active and social media friendly to connect with the public.

The Prime Minister plans to hold similar interactive sessions with other groups of ministers in the coming days as part of an ongoing exercise to track progress and enhance governance outcomes.

Sources said that this is part of his regular exercise of taking stock of work in progress and finding ways to improve governance.

(With ANI inputs)