Two men, including an Army man, have been arrested on the charges of spying for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan under the Official Secrets Act by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.
Police said on Thursday that the Army headquarters has confirmed that the documents in their possession were classified.
A 41-year-old vegetable supplier, Habib-ur-Rehman, at the Pokhran Army base camp, was held for allegedly getting sensitive documents, on which “confidential” and “restricted” was found clearly written in bold letters, from an Army man for money and providing them to the ISI.
“The Army man, identified as Paramjit, was the link man in the crime.
He was earlier posted at Pokhran where he came in contact with Habib who asked him to share the secret documents,” said Praveer Ranjan, the Special Commissioner of Police, Crime adding that Paramjit is currently posted as a clerk at Agra Cantt and was arrested from there.
According to Monika Bhardwaj, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Crime, on Sunday, specific input was received that one Habib, who had visited Pakistan also, was referring secret or classified documents pertaining to Indian Army to Pakistan through some anti-national individuals, based in Delhi.
“It has also come to notice that these activities are taking place in Pokhran, Rajasthan. A police team reached Pokhran and through technical surveillance, identity of the suspect was revealed as Habib-ur-Rahman, a resident of Pokhran, Rajasthan,” said the DCP.
“Through electronic surveillance, his location was ascertained, he was intercepted and checked. From his possession, certain documents related to Army were recovered. On questioning, he could not give any satisfactory reply as to why he was in possession of these documents or what is the source of these documents and kept on rendering evasive replies,” said the DCP.
“These documents were verified from Army Headquarters which confirmed the authenticity and informed that the documents contain highly secret information related to Army,” said the DCP.
“A case under section 3/9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 was registered. During interrogation, Habib disclosed that while supplying goods at Army canteen, he came in contact with one army official,” said the DCP.
“Habib also told police that the information, provided to him by the Army official, was further passed to his Pakistani handlers. He further disclosed that for all his services, he was being paid in cash by his handlers and the same was being further transferred by him and his associates to the bank accounts of his associate army official by wire transfers to his bank accounts through some hawala traders,” said the DCP.
“In the past also, he had sent several documents, CD containing the vital information of Army and other information to his handlers. During further interrogation it was revealed that in the year 2019 he visited Pakistan,” said the DCP.
“Habib knows some of his handlers with different names and they are investigating the matter and trying to identify whether he has handlers India or not. Police also found that WhatsApp was one of the modes through which he used to send the documents to his handlers,” said police.
The investigation is underway and documents are being verified, police said, however, they refused to disclose about the information which was passed by the accused person to his handlers.
According to police, Habib’s relatives are based in Pakistan’s Sindh and he had been to that country and met some people there involved in the spy racket.
Habib was asked to share the documents with them and the money for doing the job was sent through hawala network, police said, adding that further investigation is underway in the matter.
