Mumbai: Ukrainian Actor Armen Atain Booked for Forged Birth Certificate in Indian Citizenship Bid

The Bhoiwada Police have registered a case against Ukrainian actor Armen Atain(46) for attempting to obtain Indian citizenship using a forged birth certificate. Atain, who was earlier arrested in connection with the Torres scam, now faces fresh charges following a complaint by police constable Rahul Bothare (32) from Bhoiwada Police Station.

According to the police, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police had arrested Armen Atain on January 28, 2025, for his involvement in the Torres scam. During the investigation, the birth certificate he submitted was verified with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) F-South Ward, where it was found to be fake.

Since the BMC F-South Ward falls under Bhoiwada Police Station’s jurisdiction, the EOW forwarded the case to them through the DCP of Zone 4. Acting on the orders of Senior Police Inspector Sachin Kadam, the Bhoiwada Police launched an inquiry.

During their investigation, police questioned the chairman and members of the housing society where Atain had claimed to reside. They revealed that Armen Atain’s father, Garun Atain, lived with his family at Jam Building, Lalbaug, Mumbai, between 1975 and 1978. They also stated that Armen was born during this period, but the family moved elsewhere after 1978.

The BMC was asked to verify the authenticity of the birth certificate. Their report confirmed that the document was fake and had not been issued by their office.

Further inquiries revealed that Armen Atain is a Ukrainian national who used the fake birth certificate to apply for an Indian passport online. He submitted the same forged document during police verification at the Malvani Police Station.

Police suspect that Atain may have created additional forged documents to support his claim for Indian citizenship and might have had assistance from unknown accomplices.

It was discovered that on or before September 15, 2023, Armen Atain, along with unidentified associates, conspired to forge Indian citizenship documents using the address of Jam Building, Lalbaug. These forged documents were then used to apply for an Indian passport.

Connection to the Torres Scam

Investigations also revealed Armen Atain’s significant role in launching the Torres brand in Mumbai through Platinum Hearn Pvt. Ltd. He played a key part in introducing prime accused Tauseef Riaz to Ukrainian conspirators. It was Armen who initially approached Tauseef for help in obtaining a PAN card using a false identity.

In February 2023, Armen attended a business meeting at a prominent hotel in Sakinaka to discuss launching the Torres brand and assisted Tauseef in hiring a Chartered Accountant for the company. He was also present at the inauguration of a Torres showroom in Dadar.

However, Armen distanced himself from the company shortly after. Investigators are now probing his potential involvement with other accused persons during and after this period.

The Bhoiwada Police continue their investigation, focusing on Atain’s possible collaborators and any additional fraudulent activities related to his attempts to Acquire Indian citizenship.