On Friday, the Maharashtra police informed that the Nashik unit of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has nabbed an employee of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on charges of espionage.
The accused was found to be leaking sensitive military information about Indian fighter jets and their manufacturing process at HAL to Pakistan’s Intelligence Agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He has also been accused of passing information about the HAL airbase and the restricted areas within the manufacturing unit at Ozar near Nashik.
While speaking on the development, a police official confirmed, “The Nashik unit of the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) received reliable intelligence about the man, who was in constant touch with ISI.”
One HAL employee arrested by Nashik Unit of ATS for supplying secret information about Indian fighter aircraft & their manufacturing unit, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Nashik to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a Pakistani intelligence agency: Anti Terrorist Squad. #Maharashtra
— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2020
HAL employee sent to 10 days in police custody
During the interrogation, the accused HAL employee revealed that he was in touch with ISI handlers and passed classified information to them. He has been booked under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act of 1923 and remanded to 10 days in judicial custody on Friday by a court.
The Nashik ATS has recovered 2 memory cards, 5 sim cards and 3 mobiles, and has sent them for forensic analysis. Reportedly, the operation was conducted by DIG Jayant Naiknavre, SP Ravindrasingh Pardeshi, DCP Vinaykumar Rathod and led by Additional Director General of Police Deven Bharti.
#Breaking | Nashik unit of ATS arrests an employee of HAL after ‘reliable intelligence’ that he was supplying information on Indian fighter aircrafts and their manufacturing units to a foreigner.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 9, 2020
Details by Siddhant. pic.twitter.com/174ojkjPBr
Journalist arrested by Delhi police for espionage
Earlier, Rajeev Sharma, a freelance journalist, was arrested by Delhi Police on September 14 for sharing crucial information about India’s border strategy and Army deployment to the Chinese intelligence agencies. The Delhi police informed that Sharma was also in touch with some Chinese intelligence officer and had received Rs 40 lakhs in the last 18 months as he was being given $1,000 for passing on each sensitive information. The police official revealed that Chinese intelligence had tasked the journalist for conducting espionage activities in lieu of large amounts of money and luxury holidays.
