Security scare before PM’s Mumbai visit

A major security scare was averted on Monday evening, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit, to the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai after two men were arrested for allegedly forcing their way into a shopping mall in the area while carrying a firearm and fake identity card of the PMO. The PM was scheduled to open the Global Fintech Fest 2026 on Wednesday at the adjacent Jio World Centre.

Mumbai Police have identified Rohan Parekh, a 24-year-old man from Khar who runs a drone technology business, as the main suspect. He was accompanied by Dilip Kunde, who is said to have acted as his bodyguard. Together with a third person who is still missing, the two attempted to enter the plaza using what appeared to be an official document; however, security prevented them when the document could not be verified.

Police later confirmed the gun seized from Kunde was licensed. Mumbai Police filed a First Information Report (FIR), and Parekh was produced before the concerned court and subsequently remanded to police custody until 11 September.

Sources in the security establishment attempted to downplay the incident. They stated that the incident occurred one day before the Prime Minister’s timetable and that it has no connection with it.

Crime Branch investigators are focused on three questions: who made the identity card and how, why a private businessman had an armed escort in a closely watched mall, and who the third man is. Police are checking phones, documents, and CCTV footage.

The Global Fintech Fest, held from 8 to 11 September, brings together regulators, banks, and foreign delegations to discuss topics like agentic AI, tokenisation, and quantum technology.