News Analysis India

Tag: espionage

  • Delhi HC directs release of Chinese woman on bail in espionage case 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the release of a Chinese woman on bail in an espionage case involving freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma.

    Justice Yogesh Khanna set aside a sessions court order overturning the grant of bail by a magisterial court and directed Qing Shi to surrender her passport to the investigating officer of Delhi Police and furnish a personal bond and surety of Rs one lakh each.

    The court said that Shi was entitled to grant of statutory bail when admittedly the charge sheet was filed beyond the period of sixty days.

    The other bail conditions include Shi not leaving the country without the permission of the trial court, furnishing her contact details/address to the investigating officer and making a video call to him in the first week of every month as well as keeping her mobile location app open at all times.

    “The petition is allowed. Consequently, the impugned order dated December 16, 2020 passed by the learned Appellate Court in Criminal Revision No.65/2020 is set aside.

    “The petitioner be released from Prison on her furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs one lakh with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the learned Trial Court /Duty Magistrate,” the judge ordered.

    Rajeev Sharma was arrested on September 14 last year by the Special Cell based on Indian intelligence inputs, and police allegedly seized some defence classified documents from his house.

    Shi was subsequently arrested along with her Nepalese associate and has been in judicial custody since September last year.

    The FIR is the case alleges the commission of offences under the Official Secrets Act.

  • Army man arrested for providing classified documents to Pakistan’s ISI 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Two persons, including an Army man, have been arrested under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly providing classified documents to the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan, the Delhi Police said on Thursday.

    The Army headquarters have confirmed that the documents in question were classified in nature, they said.

    The development comes after a 34-year-old vegetable supplier at the Pokhran Army base camp was held for allegedly getting sensitive documents from an Army man for money and providing them to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

    The vegetable supplier, Habeeb Khan, was picked up on Tuesday by the Delhi Police from Pokhran in Rajasthan, officials had said on Wednesday.

    The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch received information that some sensitive documents related to defence establishment were being sent to the neighbouring country through spy network.

    “We got input about the involvement of one Habibur Rehman. Our team then conducted a raid and arrested him from Pokhran after due verification. Some secret documents were recovered from his possession and a case was registered against him under the Official Secrets Act,” Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Praveer Ranjan said at a press conference.

    During the course of investigation, it was found that Army man Paramjit was the link man in the crime.

    He was earlier posted at Pokhran where he came in contact with Rehman who asked him to share the secret documents, the officer said.

    Paramjit is currently posted as a clerk at Agra Cantt, police said.

    According to police, Rehman’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.

    Rehman 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.

    “Both Rehman and Paramjit have been found involved in the illegal act. The Army headquarters have also confirmed that the documents shared by the duo were classified in nature,” a police officer said.

    Multiple bank accounts used in the crime have been found, he said, adding the matter is being thoroughly investigated.