LUCKNOW: A man working at the Indian embassy in Moscow, who was allegedly providing important confidential information regarding the strategic activities of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian military establishments for money to Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police.
The arrested person was identified as Satendra Siwal of Shahmahiuddinpur village in Hapur, UP, an employee posted as India-based security assistant at the Indian Embassy in Moscow.
According to an official statement on Sunday, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) received a tip-off from confidential sources that ISI handlers were luring employees of the MEA with money “to derive information about the Defence Ministry, MEA, Indian Army and military installations, posing a threat to the country’s internal and external security”.
The ATS in its probe through electronic and physical surveillance found that Siwal was involved in anti-India activities with the network of the ISI handlers, it said. Following this, the Meerut field unit of the Anti-Terrorist Squad called him for interrogation, during which he allegedly failed to give satisfactory replies.
The ATS statement claimed that Siwal accepted his crime during the interrogation. He was arrested after an FIR was registered against him at ATS police station, Lucknow, under Section 121A of the IPC (waging war against the country) and the Official Secrets Act, 1923, the statement said.
Meanwhile, sources said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is aware of the arrest of Siwal, a multi-tasking staff (MTS) at the MEA posted as a security assistant in the embassy of India, Moscow. “MEA continues to work with the investigative authorities in the matter,” said a source.