Crime Branch files charge-sheet against fake BARC scientist

Mumbai Crime Branch filed a 689-page charge-sheet against Akthar Hussaini for posing as a BARC scientist, forging documents, and potential espionage.

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch has filed a 689-page charge-sheet in the fake Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientist case. Crime Branch sources said they had charge-sheeted the main accused, Akthar Qutubuddin Hussaini, who posed as a BARC scientist, and co-accused Munazzir Nazimuddin Khan who helped him forge documents, including three passports. The police said they had also attached a letter from BARC, supporting their case that Hussaini had nothing to do with the institution.

Crime Branch files charge-sheet against fake BARC scientist

The charge-sheet has been filed under Sections 319 (cheating by personation), 336 (forgery), 337 (forgery of record of court or of public register etc), 338 (forgery of valuable security, wills, and other critical documents), 339 (possessing a forged document) and 340 (use of forged document or electronic record as genuine) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Versova resident Hussaini aka Alexander Palmer, who is the prime accused in a suspected spy racket, was arrested by the Mumbai police on October 17. The 60-year-old had been using forged identity cards of India’s premier nuclear facility, BARC. Two fake identity cards were recovered from him, once bearing the alias ‘Alexander Palmer’ and the other ‘Ali Reza Hoseini’.

Hussaini’s fake identity was backed up by forged educational degrees and a fake passport, Aadhaar card and PAN card. The documents were fabricated by a colleague, Munazzir Nazimuddin Khan, 34, a resident of Jamshedpur, as far back as 2016-17. Khan was arrested on October 25.

The police said that Adil was originally from Tata Nagar in Jharkhand, had been living in Delhi for several years and had made several trips to Pakistan and the Middle East. They are looking for Mohammad Iliyaas Mohammad Ismail from Jamshedpur, who helped Khan prepare Hussaini’s forged documents.

Investigators said Hussaini was fascinated with physics and espionage, and enjoyed introducing himself as a secret agent or nuclear expert. They said he had worked in the Middle East, in oil and marketing firms, and had been deported from Dubai in 2004. At the time, Hussaini was accused of trying to sell “sensitive information” about India. However, inquiries by the police, central agencies and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) found nothing incriminating.

Hussaini used his fake scientist persona to meet foreign nationals, travel abroad and allegedly take money while claiming to have access to confidential material. Maps and other suspicious documents have been recovered from him.