After busting an espionage ring being run from Jammu and Kashmir for over two years, Delhi Police has is now initiating a probe against some unnamed Pakistan High Commission officials who are suspected of having links with the Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI)of Pakistan.
The information was revealed by 44-year-old library assistant, Kafaitullah Khan alias Master Raja, who was arrested in the capital by Delhi Police's Crime Branch wing on November 26, on charges of obtaining secret information related to India's national security and sharing it with the ISI.
"Khan was supposed to meet someone outside the Pakistan embassy gate to whom he was to hand over his passport and the recommendation letter for Pakistan High Commission," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ravindra Yadav told IANS.
Khan reportedly revealed that he was asked by his handlers in ISI to meet officials in the Commission to obtain a visa for Pakistan, so that he could go there. However, the police did not disclose the names of the said officials.
"Further logistics were also to be provided to Khan by the person whom he had to meet," Yadav said.
Yadav said that the passport and the recommendation letter were seized from his possession.
"Khan was going to Bhopal at the behest of the ISI agent to get the details those attending the World Tableeghi Congregation or the Ijtema - an Islamic congregation for the enlightenment of Muslims and to spread the message of peace -- scheduled from November 28 to 30. He was supposed to scout for possible recruits," Yadav added.
Sources in Delhi Police said that Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit will soon be contacted over the issue regarding the information revealed by Khan.
On being interrogated, Khan revealed that he had visited Pakistan in 2013, Yadav said.
"During his stay there, he came in contact with an ISI agent, and he agreed to provide them secret information related to the defence forces in exchange for money," Yadav said.
"For this purpose, he cultivated his sources in Army and BSF and they started passing on information to his handlers in ISI," he added.
The information was passed through e-mail and mobile messaging apps WhatsApp and Viber.
Yadav said that Khan was given specific tasks to get the information concerning with the deployment of security forces and Air Force Operations.
Yadav said Khan had developed contacts in India's security agencies through which he was procuring secret information.
Khan, a resident of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, was selected for the BSF in 1992 but he did not join the service. Later, he got selected in Jammu and Kashmir police in 1993 but left the police force after getting a job as library assistant in 1995.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch also nabbed a Border Security Force (BSF) head constable Abdul Rasheed for supplying documents to the ISI.
Rasheed, who was posted in the intelligence wing of BSF in Rajouri, was one of the main sources for Khan. Khan is now in police custody till December 2.
"We took Khan to Rajouri to arrest his accomplice Rasheed," the official said.
Rasheed, who has been working with BSF since 2012 in Rajouri, has been remanded to police custody till December 7.
Rasheed was selected in 1990 and was earlier posted in Gujarat and West Bengal and in 1998 shifted to Jammu and Kashmir.
Police is now procuring the bank account details of Rasheed with the help of Jammu and Kashmir Bank to confirm his claim that he was sharing the secret information with ISI for monetary benefits.
"Being in the Intelligence Wing of BSF, Rasheed had access to secret and sensitive information pertaining to deployment, border fencing and movement of the troops," Yadav said.
"He was initially passing the information to Khan but later on he developed close relations directly with one of the ISI agents and started communicating with him through the App-based communication systems." he said.
The official said that Khan and Rasheed were receiving money through bank transfers.
Yadav said that most of the transactions weree international bank transfers and the money trail was still being investigated.
"Some secret documents related to national security were also seized from their possession," a police official said.
(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)
--Indo-Asian News Service
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