Surat man posing as ISRO scientist involved in Chandrayaan-3 mission arrested

Local authorities have apprehended a private tutor, identified as Mitul Trivedi, on charges of posing as a high-ranking scientist affiliated with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Officials reveal that Trivedi allegedly conducted interviews with media outlets in Surat, falsely claiming credit for designing the lander module integral to the ongoing Chandrayaan-3 moon mission.

Hailing from Surat, the accused, aged in his late 30s, allegedly did the impersonation to increase enrollment in his private tuition classes, according to a PTI report. On Tuesday, law enforcement successfully apprehended Trivedi. "A thorough investigation revealed that the man was in no way connected to ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission and had made false claims of being an ISRO employee," the police said in a statement.

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The elaborate ruse was unearthed when Trivedi began granting interviews to local media outlets immediately following the triumphant soft landing of ISRO's Vikram lander on the lunar surface on August 23. He asserted that he was behind the design of the Chandrayaan-3's lander module, a feat that garnered significant media attention.

Further investigation brought to light that Trivedi had allegedly portrayed himself as the "assistant chairman" of ISRO's fictitious "Ancient Science Application department." To bolster his falsified credentials, he produced a counterfeit appointment letter dated February 26, 2022. He even produced a fake letter about being the "space research member" for ISRO's next project called "mercury force in space."

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The Surat City crime branch has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Trivedi, citing violations of various sections of the Indian Penal Code. These include sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 471 (use of forged documents as genuine).

Additional Commissioner of Police Sharad Singhal confirmed that Trivedi, a private tutor by profession, manipulated his fabricated ISRO affiliation to attract a larger student clientele to his tuition classes. "We contacted the ISRO which said that prima facie the letter shown by the accused was not issued by it. The space agency will send a detailed reply to us soon," he said.

(With PTI inputs)

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