Two men held for ‘posing as MHA official to mislead CII’ get bail
As per court records, the case was registered on the complaint of Deputy Director General and Head of Internal IT & Cyber, CII, Lodhi Road who informed the police about an alleged case of impersonation of Senior Officials of MHA.
The prosecution claimed that Kumar and Fernandes were hired by one Vihaan who engaged them to fix a meeting with the complainant.
A Delhi court recently granted bail to two men, who were accused of impersonating a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official to set up a meeting with a senior Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) official to allegedly clear obstacles for Hero MotoCorp CEO Pawan Munjal’s elevation as President of CII, in the wake of an IT raid case.
As per court records, the case was registered on the complaint of Deputy Director General and Head of Internal IT & Cyber, CII, Lodhi Road who informed the police about an alleged case of impersonation of Senior Officials of MHA.
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The prosecution claimed that Kumar and Fernandes were hired by one Vihaan who engaged them to fix a meeting with the complainant.
Additional Public Prosecutor RK Bhati while opposing their bail had alleged that the said meeting was “fixed with the complainant as one Pawan Munjal who is the owner of Hero MotoCorp has been named as proposed President of CII.”
“Since some Income Tax raid was affected on him in the past, therefore for the purpose of clearing all the obstacles to become a President and to show his support by Government India, both the accused persons went to meet the complainant…” the prosecutor told the court.
“For the purpose of meeting with him (DG CII), he (Vihaan) used a software through which he spoofed the call, and made the call to the complainant in the name of Saket Kumar, personal secretary of MHA,” the prosecutor further added.
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The prosecution submitted that this meeting was fixed on 17 May, 2022 however, prior to the meeting, the “complainant made a call to verify from the Home Ministry and it was revealed that no such call was made.”
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Khanagwal had on June 22 observed that “IO has not investigated till date, Pawan Munjal on whose behalf the accused persons were hired by co-accused Vihaan.”
The court had noted that no other information was to be obtained from the applicant even as the Investigating Officer (IO) submitted that there is apprehension of tampering of evidence.
The court also noted that data related to the spoofed call was recovered and the call detail record to show that the call was made to the complainant was also recovered.
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The company has said that they deny any association with the accused. “We are unaware of the matter and categorically deny any association with this,” the company spokesperson said.
On March 23, the Income Tax Department had conducted raids at Hero MotoCorp’s premises. Days after the raids were launched, the tax department, in a March 31 statement, had said it conducted a search and seizure operation on a “leading automobile manufacturer group.”
Hero MotoCorp issued a statement terming the exercise a “routine inquiry, which is not uncommon before the end of the financial year”.
Munjal was announced CII president-designate on May 12. In July, he stepped down as president-designate citing domestic and global business commitments.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
