On July 13, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police in a joint operation with the Intelligence Bureau detained a man identified as Habibur Rahman alias Habib Khan from Pokhran, Rajasthan. As per the reports, he allegedly spied for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s intelligence agency. Rahman hails from Bikaner and was indulged in the business of supplying vegetables to the Indian Army for a long time.
Espionage matter | Delhi Police registers a case under Official Secrets Act against accused Habibur Rahman who has been arrested from Pokharan, Rajasthan. He worked for Pakistan’s ISI and had also been there: Delhi Police Crime Branch
— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2021
The Crime Branch was surveilling Rahman for some time. On July 14, he was brought to Delhi for questioning and a day after, he was detained by the Delhi Police team in Pokaran. As of now, Intelligence Bureau and a team from Delhi Police is interrogating him.
Army personnel detained for providing Rahman confidential information
According to a report in Times of India, many personnel from the Indian Army might have shared information with Rahman. They are reportedly being investigated under the Official Secrets Act. Rahman was acting as an intermediary for supplying information and confidential documents to ISI. He also allegedly made arrangements for payments to the information provider.
The Delhi Police said that the Army’s confidential documents & map of the Army area were seized from him. The accused claimed that the documents were given to him by one Paramjit Kaur, an Army personnel deployed in Agra. Rahman was supposed to hand over documents to one Kamal. Paramjit Kaur is now being questioned by army officers and will soon be handed over to Delhi Police for further probe.
Army’s confidential documents & map of Army area seized from him. The accused said that the documents were given to him by Paramjit Kaur, an Army personnel deployed in Agra. Rahman was supposed to hand over documents to one Kamal. Questioning underway: Delhi Police Crime Branch
— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2021
The military intelligence started tracking Habib around four months ago after they stumbled upon suspicious money transactions and electronic communications. As he was a vegetable supplier, he had access to many areas on Army bases in multiple locations.
According to reports, on Thursday, Police may share details of the raids they conducted at multiple places in Jaisalmer, Agra and Pokhran. Rahman had accompanied the investigation agencies in these raids. The agencies are trying to nab his associates. Notably, Rahman was also working as a social worker and activist in Rajasthan.
Indian Express quoted an officer saying, “Khan was taken to several places to verify some points where he used to meet ISI operatives. It was also found that he was receiving sensitive documents from an Army official, who allegedly charged him for each document he provided. The handler and Khan convinced the Army official to send some particular military information, especially coordinates.”
