MUMBAI: A magistrate’s court on Monday granted bail to Rohan Premal Parikh, 24, who allegedly entered Jio World Plaza in Bandra-Kurla Complex on September 7, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to attend an event at an adjoining venue, using a forged Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) identity card. Parikh’s bodyguard Dilip Rajaram Kunde, who allegedly accompanied him carrying a firearm, was also granted bail by the court.
The crime intelligence unit has taken over the probe. The court directed each accused to furnish a personal bond of ₹ 50,000 with one or two sureties of the same amount. The court however approved the bail plea, noting Parikh’s age (24), education and participation in academic competitions.
Additional chief judicial magistrate DS Khedekar allowed the pleas, observing that “no intentional act to use the I-card and no specific role is attributed against the accused for commission of overt act” through the forged card. A licensed revolver and six live cartridges were recovered from Kunde, while the third man, Prathamesh Bagul, was wanted, police said. Opposing bail, the prosecution said the investigation was at a preliminary stage, and another person linked to the offence was yet to be arrested. Parikh also had a “history of frequent foreign travel, enhancing the risk of his evading trial”, and possible misuse of the fake I-card was yet to be examined, the prosecution noted. “Incarceration of the young student along with hardened offenders would cause prejudice” and keeping him behind bars when custodial interrogation was no longer required “would affect the future of the accused”, the court said.
Regarding Kunde, the court said that “no overt act is shown” against him for misuse of the firearm. Kunde’s plea said he was at the mall “in discharge of his employment duties”, while the prosecution said verification of his weapon licence and forensic analysis of his phone were pending. The court said that questions regarding the legality of his possessing the firearm and using it as a bodyguard “required to be established during the trial”.
