Army information leak to Pakistan: 2 arrested in Assam; retired jawan among suspects
Guwahati: Two people, including a retired Army jawan working on a contractual basis, have been arrested in Assam for allegedly passing security-related information, including details of army movements, to Pakistan, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.
The arrests were made by the Assam Police based on inputs from central agencies, Sarma said. The two suspects are expected to be handed over to central agencies for further investigation.
"It has been alleged that they were in touch with Pakistan and were giving information about army movement," Sarma said at a press conference.
Two arrested, one a retired Army jawan
Sarma said one of those arrested is a retired Army jawan who was later re-employed on a contractual basis with the Army.
The Chief Minister did not disclose the identities of both suspects or provide further details about the information they allegedly shared.
He said the arrests were based on inputs received from central agencies and that the suspects would be handed over to them for further questioning.
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Honey-trap angle under probe
According to initial reports, the two suspects may have been honey-trapped by people seeking to extract security-related information from them, Sarma said.
The remark adds a new angle to the espionage investigation, although authorities have not disclosed details about how the alleged honey-trapping was carried out or who was behind it.
Bihar man arrested in Guwahati
Earlier on Sunday, the Assam Police said its Special Task Force (STF) had arrested a 31-year-old Bihar resident, Abhishek Kumar Singh, in connection with alleged espionage-related activities.
Singh, who hails from Purba Champaran, was staying in a rented accommodation in Guwahati.
According to the police, preliminary investigation indicated his alleged involvement in passing secret information concerning security forces to a Pakistani intelligence operative (PIO).
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Military Intelligence input led to arrest
Police said the initial input about Singh was shared by the Military Intelligence unit of the Tezpur-based Gajraj Corps.
The STF, working with the Sonitpur police, subsequently gathered information about Singh, who was suspected of involvement in activities allegedly carried out under the instructions of a PIO.
Based on the intelligence inputs, the Assam STF conducted an operation during the intervening night of October 3 and 4 and apprehended Singh from his rented house in Guwahati, police said.
Phone, SIM cards and documents recovered
During the operation, the STF recovered a mobile phone, SIM cards and documents described by the police as incriminating.
Police said the investigation is continuing. Further details about the alleged information shared with the Pakistani intelligence operative and the role of the other arrested person are yet to emerge.
(With PTI inputs)