2 Indian Army personnel spying for Pakistan arrested; 'Shared over 900 documents with ISI'

Over 900 classified documents pertaining to defence and national security were shared with Pakistani Intelligence wing ISI by two India Army personnel, Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta revealed as his team busted a major cross-border espionage network. The two Indian Army personnel were arrested on Tuesday and have been charged with spying and providing classified documents to the ISI. The accused have been identified as Sepoy Harpreet Singh, who joined the Indian Army in 2017 and Sepoy Gurbhej Singh, who was recruited in 2015. Sections 124-A and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 3, 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act have been invoked in the matter. 

Over 900 classified documents shared with ISI

Punjab Police DGP, while divulging details of the cross-border espionage network, said that the Jalandhar Rural Police had recovered confidential and secret documents related to the functioning and deployment of the Indian Army from cross-border drug smuggler Ranvir Singh, who was arrested with 70 grams of heroin on May 24, 2021, which rung alarm bells. The arrested smuggler, upon being questioned, revealed that he received those highly sensitive documents from the Sepoy Harpreet Singh, who was his friend, and both natives were natives of the same village. 

 “Ranvir motivated and lured Sepoy Harpreet Singh with financial benefits for sharing defence related classified documents, following which the latter induced his friend Sepoy Gurbhej into such anti-national spying activities,” said DGP Dinkar Gupta, while adding that since Gurbhej was working as a clerk in 121 Infantry Brigade Headquarters in Kargil, he could get easy access to these classified documents containing both strategic and tactical information relating to the Indian Army.

Significantly, the two arrested Indian Army personnel shared photos of over 900 classified documents over a period of 4 months between February and May 2021 with Ranvir, who forwarded the same to Pakistan's ISI. These photos were being transmitted over encrypted apps. According to the preliminary investigation, the two arrested Army personnel received monetary inducements for sharing confidential account. 

The DGP revealed that Ranvir further used to send these classified documents to either the Pakistan ISI operatives directly or via Gopi, who has been identified as the main drug smuggler from village Dauke in Amritsar having links with Pakistan based drug-smuggling syndicates and ISI officials, who invariably work in tandem with each other.

Journalist accused of spying for China arrested

Out on bail since December 4 last year, freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma was recently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers. The ED invoked the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Rajeev Sharma, who has been remanded to ED custody for seven days. The central agency had initiated an investigation against the freelance journalist on the basis of the FIR and chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police under the provisions of IPC and the Official Secrets Act, 1923.