Amit Shah's security breach in Mumbai: Man posing as MHA staff held

Mumbai, Sep 08: A 32-year-old man has been arrested and sent to judicial custody in Mumbai for posing as an official from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) during Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent visit to Mumbai. The incident took place on Tuesday when the person, identified as Hemant Pawar, was seen roaming suspiciously closer to the security detail of Amit Shah at Sagar Bungalow in the Malabar Hills of Mumbai.

Pawar, a resident of Dhule was first checked by Assistant Commissioner of Police Neelkanth Patil on Monday when he was on bandobast duty. Patil found something suspicious about his manner as he loitered outside the homes of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and his Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis where Amit Shah was scheduled to visit When the police found out about the man roaming around suspiciously near Shah and Fadnavis, they launched a manhunt and within three hours he was traced when he was leaving for his hometown, Dhule in Maharashtra.

"The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that provides security to various VIPs began looking for him based on the name and description that Patil gave them," said the police officer. Investigations led them to Nana Chowk from where the man was detained on Monday afternoon.

As per ANI, the security breach was confirmed when the police verified that the accused name was not mentioned in Shah's list of security.

The cops also found an identity card of the personal secretary of a Member of Parliament (MP) on him in addition to an MHA identity card. They also discovered that that man lives in Sindkheda in Dhule, and does not work for the government in any capacity.

"Pawar has been booked under section 170 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for impersonating a public servant and section 171 of IPC," said the investigating officer. Pawar was produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate, 40th court in Girgaum, on Wednesday has been sent to five-day police custody by the court after he was arrested by the Malabar Hill Police Station on Monday.