Mumbai, November 5: A 60-year-old man, recently arrested by the Mumbai Police for impersonating a scientist from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), was allegedly attempting to sell a purported nuclear-related design to companies in Iran under the pretext of “scientific collaboration” and “research partnership,” investigators said.
According to probe agency sources, the accused, Akhtar Hussaini Qutbuddin Ahmed, and his brother Adil Hussaini (59), who has also been arrested, were using VPNs and encrypted networks to peddle a design claimed to be that of a lithium-6-based fusion reactor. The duo had visited Tehran between March and April, and reportedly made multiple visits to the Iranian embassies in India and Dubai.
Officials revealed that the men even duped a Mumbai-based Iranian diplomat by posing as senior BARC officials, sharing fake reactor blueprints and fabricated credentials.
The accused falsely claimed that they had achieved a fusion breakthrough using lithium-6 — a material that breeds tritium fuel and removes heat in fusion reactions. They also claimed to have tested a lithium-7 reactor prototype, which they said failed due to “plasma heating failure.”
However, scientists assisting the investigation said there is no scientific evidence to support their claims, adding that lithium-7 is unsuitable for fusion. Investigators said the brothers used technical jargon such as nuclear reactor physics, isotope chemistry, and plasma dynamics to mislead officials.
Police seized over 10 maps and documents related to nuclear weapons, as well as fake passports, Aadhaar and PAN cards, and forged BARC IDs bearing names like Ali Raza Hussain and Alexander Palmer.
Authorities also suspect the brothers had been receiving foreign funds since 1995, initially in lakhs and later in crores, allegedly in exchange for classified blueprints linked to BARC and other nuclear facilities. (Agencies)
