Pakistan’s ISI in major espionage case
ISLAMABAD: A retired colonel of the Indian Army has been arrested oncharges of passing highly sensitive defence information to Pakistaniintelligence handlers, marking one of the most serious espionage casesuncovered by Indian authorities in recent years.
The arrested officer, identified as Colonel Suresh Kumar (retd), was takeninto custody by the Rajasthan Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad in Jodhpurfollowing a prolonged surveillance operation. Officials said the formercolonel, who served in sensitive strategic planning and intelligence unitsduring his career, had been in contact with operatives linked to Pakistan’sInter-Services Intelligence since 2022.
According to the First Information Report registered under the OfficialSecrets Act provisions and relevant sections of the Bharatiya NyayaSanhita, Colonel Kumar allegedly shared classified documents pertaining totroop deployments along the Line of Control, missile defence systems, andoperational plans of the Western Command. The information was reportedlytransmitted through encrypted messaging applications and coded emails tohandlers based in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
Investigators claim the retired officer was motivated by financialincentives and had received several lakh rupees in multiple tranchesthrough hawala networks. Sources in the investigating agency revealed thatdigital forensics recovered deleted chats and photographs of sensitivedocuments from the colonel’s electronic devices.
The arrest comes at a time of heightened tension between the twonuclear-armed neighbours following repeated ceasefire violations anddiplomatic standoffs. Indian security establishment has described the caseas a major breach that could have compromised operational readiness in thewestern sector.
Defence analysts note that this is the third instance in the past eighteenmonths where serving or retired personnel from the Indian armed forces havebeen apprehended for alleged links with Pakistani intelligence. Theprevious cases involved a naval officer in Visakhapatnam and a contractemployee at the Army headquarters in New Delhi.
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The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi has not yet issued anofficial statement, but sources indicate the matter is being treated withutmost seriousness at the highest levels. Meanwhile, Pakistani authoritieshave maintained silence on the allegations.
The case has once again brought into focus the persistent challenge ofespionage and counter-intelligence in the deeply strained India-Pakistanrelationship, where both sides regularly accuse each other of sponsoringcovert activities across the border.
Source:https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/retired-colonel-held-for-leaking-secrets-to-pakistan-isi-101724596321456.html
Tags: India, Pakistan, Espionage, Indian Army, ISI, Rajasthan
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