Bogus ID, live cartridges: fresh security breach at IIT Bombay, Bihar youth held

In the latest case, police said Chaudhary had been staying on campus for five days as a hostel guest after entering with a bogus student identity card. He had arrived in Mumbai on February 12 and was staying with his childhood friend Apoorva Mishra, a hostel resident.

The incident came to light around 1.30 am on February 19 after a security guard noticed a dispute on the ground floor of Hostel No. 1. The security supervisor and his team reached the spot and found that an argument had broken out between Suraj Dubey of Room No. 93 and another student over financial matters.

While intervening, security personnel allegedly found Dubey and Mishra under the influence of alcohol, which is prohibited inside the hostel. They decided to search the room. During the inspection of Room No. 93, guards found a bag on the bed. On checking the front pocket, they discovered five live cartridges, a police officer said.

Dubey allegedly claimed the bag belonged to Mishra. During questioning, Mishra told security personnel that his friend Sarvottam Chaudhary, a resident of Samastipur in Bihar, had stayed in his room as a guest and had brought the cartridges to campus on February 12, storing them in the bag.

Chaudhary was detained when he returned to campus. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted that the cartridges had been purchased from Munger in Bihar. An FIR was registered under the Arms Act based on a complaint by a security staff member, and Powai police formally arrested him. He was produced in court on Saturday and remanded in police custody.

Police are probing multiple angles, including the whereabouts of the firearm linked to the recovered ammunition. Officials suspect that the accused may have sold a weapon along with some rounds and could have been looking for buyers for the remaining cartridges. His call records are being examined to determine whether he has any links with local criminals.

During further questioning, police learned that Chaudhary is a BSc student in his native place and had come to Mumbai to meet his girlfriend, who lives in the Mira Road area. Mishra, his childhood friend, allegedly arranged his stay in the hostel as a guest. The bogus ID card was shown at the campus gate, an official said. Police have informed his family and are investigating how the ammunition was brought into the campus and whether any weapon was used in connection with it.

A police officer associated with the probe said, “There is no proper scanning or frisking while visiting the campus. After the 22 year old bogus PhD student stayed almost a month in campus and attended lectures last year, questions were raised by multiple authorities including central agencies who also questioned the bogus student for almost a week. The IIT Mumbai has hired Maharashtra Security Force to tighten their checking at the gate but still there are lapses.”