A Mumbai court has granted bail to a student and his bodyguard arrested for entering Jio World Plaza with a firearm and a fake PMO identity card, highlighting the lack of malicious intent and potential impact on the student's future.
Key Points
- Mumbai court grants bail to student Rohan Parikh and bodyguard Dilip Kunde in the Jio World Plaza incident.
- Accused were arrested for entering the luxury mall with a firearm and a fake Prime Minister's Office (PMO) identity card.
- Bail was set at Rs 50,000 cash bond each, citing no "overt malicious act" beyond entry.
- The court emphasized potential prejudice to the student's educational and professional future if incarcerated.
- The incident occurred on the eve of PM Narendra Modi's visit to an adjacent cultural centre.
A court in Mumbai on Monday granted bail to a 24-year-old student arrested for entering a luxury mall in Bandra Kurla Complex with his aide with a firearm and a fake Prime Minister's Office (PMO) identity card, ruling that no "overt malicious act" beyond the entry was attributed to him.
Additional chief judicial magistrate (Esplanade Court) D S Khedekar granted bail to the main accused, Rohan Parikh, a student, and his body guard, Dilip Kunde (49), on a cash bond of Rs 50,000 each, two weeks after the incident at Jio World Plaza.
Details Of The Jio World Plaza Incident
The incident took place on September 7 at Jio World Plaza, on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attendance at the adjacent Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre for the Global Fintech Fest 2026.
The duo were stopped while entering the mall when security guards found that Kunde was carrying a firearm.
They then started arguing, and one of them showed a photograph of an identity card claiming he was from the PMO.
The court further stated that there were no allegations that Kunde entered the mall "with intention to cause harm by possessing a licensed firearm".
Arguments For Bail And Prosecution's Stance
Parikh, in his bail plea filed through advocate Satish Maneshine, argued that he visited the mall for personal reasons, and was unaware of any upcoming dignitary visit or the newly promulgated prohibitory orders.
The application had termed the incident a "victimless crime", where no harm or injury was caused to any person.
The plea stated that Parikh was "at the cusp of his transition from a student to a professional" and his prolonged detention was likely to have a negative impact on his mental health and may also tarnish his nascent career.
The prosecution alleged that Parikh created the fake PMO credentials using an artificial intelligence application on his mobile phone. It opposed his plea, saying the misuse of the I-card was yet to be examined.
Court's Rationale For Granting Bail
The court, however, stressed that "except entry along with bodyguard, no intentional act to use the I-card and no specific role is attributed against the accused for commission of overt act by virtue of said fake card".
It held that the allegation against the accused needs to be proved during the trial.
The judge further noted that keeping the youth behind bars was unjustified, as his mobile phones and laptop had already been seized, eliminating the need for further custodial interrogation.
"I am of the view that the educational career of the accused, incarceration of the accused along with hardened criminals would cause a prejudice to the prospective progress of the accused," he said, while granting Parikh bail.
