Mitul Trivedi, an Indian tutor, was arrested in 2023 for falsely claiming to be an ISRO scientist involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. |
Trivedi is a tuition teacher for students from 12th standard and operates the Vedic Village School & University in Surat. |
Since 2011, he has misrepresented connections with ISRO and since 2013 with NASA, adding "Dr" to his name on social media and YouTube. |
In a 2013 interview, Trivedi boasted about being invited by NASA for his Vedic mathematics expertise, without a science degree. |
Trivedi claimed academic achievements, including BSc, MSc in Physics, studies at Cambridge University, and continued studies at Oxford University. |
He made appearances on local news channels in Gujarat and hosted paid webinars on topics blending Hindu mythology, archaeology, and science. |
Claiming to be an archaeologist, Trivedi purported affiliations with the Archaeological Survey of India and knowledge of ancient extinct languages. |
He made false claims about a golden city, Dwarika, near Olpad and published research in a Gujarat magazine in 2017. |
Trivedi authored books like "Indus Script & Its Glory," "Vedic Yuddha," "Tarakasura," and "Suvarna Lanka." |
Trivedi's deception was uncovered in August 2023 when arrested by the Surat Crime Branch for claiming to have designed Chandrayaan 3's Vikram lander. |
An FIR was filed against Trivedi under IPC sections 465, 468, 471, and 419. |