Arun P. Vijayakumar, 27, a native of Manimala in Kottayam district, had shot into fame following reports that Nasa had even relaxed certain rules on citizenship for him as it was so impressed with his knowledge and patriotism. (Photo: DC)

Kochi: Arun P.V. fooled everyone for some time by claiming to be closely associated with the US space agency Nasa, but he has been proved to be an imposter.

Arun P. Vijayakumar, 27, a native of Manimala in Kottayam district, had shot into fame following reports that Nasa had even relaxed certain rules on citizenship for him as it was so impressed with his knowledge and patriotism.

Arun confessed to DC that all these reports were blatant lies spread by him. Arun has not been in the US so far for a Nasa project. His claims of meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his closeness with an internationally- acclaimed scientist, Barbara Lesko, are also fake.

The news of Arun joining Nasa had gone viral in the recent months. The lies of Arun were nailed by a senior police officer who tracked down the antecedents of the claims after getting an input on ‘Netizen police,’ a Facebook initiative by the police department.

When this reporter called Arun first, he claimed that he had restrictions from Nasa and that he could not reveal the details. He promised that the photograph of his speaking to Mr Modi would be made available. But later, when the details were revealed, Arun confessed everything.

Arun had claimed that he is a doctoral fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) doing research under Dr. Barbara Lesko in learning theory. But according to Tshten Dorji, the head of department of information and technology, Royal University of Bhutan, Arun was working as a lecturer there between July 2013 and July 2014.