CBI Books Delhi Man for Misusing PM’s Name in Jet Engine Claims
He continued sending follow-up emails, including suggestions for coordination among defence laboratories.
New Delhi: The CBI has booked a resident of a posh South Delhi colony for allegedly sending a series of misleading emails to senior executives and scientists across government-owned defence firms, research organisations and even a senior officer of the US Navy, falsely claiming he had the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop a fighter aircraft engine for India.
The accused, Nisheeth Kohli, a resident of Vasant Kunj, claimed privileged access to the Prime Minister’s Office and projected himself as someone willing to help the Government of India develop an indigenous military jet engine.
In his emails, Kohli described himself as a “textile chemistry engineer”, a 2002 graduate of The Technological Institute of Textile and Sciences (TITS), Bhiwani, and made sweeping claims about his ability to contribute to advanced jet-engine development — a highly specialised field requiring decades of technical expertise.
According to the CBI FIR, emails sent between October and December 2024 were addressed to Premier Explosives Ltd, the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Indian Space Research Organisation, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), among others.
To lend credibility to his claims, Kohli invoked the name of the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, P.K. Mishra, and asserted that he enjoyed the “blessings and best wishes” of the Prime Minister.
The CBI initiated an inquiry following a complaint from a director in the Prime Minister’s Office, A.K. Sharma, who alleged misuse of the names of the Prime Minister and the Principal Secretary for professional and personal gain.
Investigators traced an extensive email trail originating from Kohli’s personal Gmail account, with multiple senior officials copied on the correspondence, creating an appearance of bureaucratic legitimacy. In one instance, on November 27, 2024, the then managing director of Premier Explosives, T.V. Chowdary, responded to Kohli’s email despite having no prior acquaintance with him. The correspondence was also marked to senior officials of ADE and ISRO.
Kohli further claimed that the project would be managed through ADE under DRDO supervision and that his credentials could be verified with the PMO. He continued sending follow-up emails, including suggestions for coordination among defence laboratories.
On December 8, 2024, Kohli emailed Vice Admiral George M. Wikoff of the US Navy at the Pentagon, copying Indian defence industry executives, in what officials termed an imprudent attempt to internationalise his overtures.
The CBI has booked Kohli under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating. Officials said the investigation into his motives and the implications of the correspondence, given the sensitive nature of defence research, is at a preliminary stage.
