India: In a crucial development after the arrest of a fake scientist at the country’s premier nuclear research unit, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai police have recovered suspicious nuclear data and 14 maps from the suspect. These documents are now being examined to determine if they contain any sensitive or confidential nuclear information.
Akhtar Qutubuddin Hussaini was arrested in Versova last week, posing as a scientist who went by various names. Several fake passports, Aadhaar and PAN cards, as well as fake BARC IDs, were recovered from him. While one ID identified him as Ali Raza Hussain, the other named him Alexander Palmer.
Sources suggest Hussaini made several international calls over the past few months, and his call records are now being traced. The police suspect that he was in contact with foreign networks that could be linked to the suspected nuclear data.
The investigation has revealed a long history of Hussaini changing his identity and living in disguise. In 2004, he was deported from Dubai after claiming to be a “scientist possessing classified documents.” Even after being deported, he had travelled to Dubai, Tehran, and other places using fake passports.
Munazzil Khan, a Jharkhand resident, had allegedly forged two passports for Hussaini’s brother. The address mentioned on these passports belonged to a house in Jamshedpur that had been sold around 30 years ago after the death of Akhtar’s father. The passports were in the names of Hussaini Mohammad Adil and Nasimuddin Syed Adil Hussaini.
Cops now suspect that both Akhtar and his brother Adil used forged documents with fake identities to travel abroad.
According to sources, Akhtar’s brother, Adil Hussaini, was recently arrested by Delhi Police. He is suspected of having introduced his brother to Munazzil Khan.
To mislead the police, Akhtar Hussaini had claimed during questioning that his brother was long dead.
The investigation has now revealed that Munazzil Khan’s brother, Ilyas Khan, is also involved and has been declared wanted. Ilyas Khan is accused of providing Akhtar Hussainin with fake educational certificates, including school and college degrees.
