Cops probing Pak high commission link to spy racket

Some officials of the Pakistan high commission are being probed over a suspected role in the Inter-Services Intelligence spy racket busted on Sunday evening, police said on Monday.

The investigation so far has revealed one of the two accused, Kaifatullah Khan, was directed to meet a high commission official, police said.

''Our investigation has revealed he was directed to visit Pakistan again. He has confessed he was told to meet an official in the Pakistan high commission who would help him in obtaining a visa. We will probe the identity of the official and at a later stage approach the high commission,'' joint commissioner of police (crime branch) Ravindra Yadav said.

Police said they have recovered a recommendation letter from Khan addressed to Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit. Yadav said the handler was to meet the Pakistani official outside the high commission in Chanakyapuri.

On Sunday evening, Delhi police said they had busted an espionage ring of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence with the arrest of Khan and his associate Abdul Rasheed, a serving Indian Border Security Force constable. Rasheed, posted with the intelligence unit of the BSF in Rajouri, allegedly accessed information which was sent to handlers in Pakistan.

On Monday, Rasheed was sent to police custody till 7 December. Police are probing the role of a retired army officer suspected to have been working with the duo.

The BSF has ordered a court of inquiry to probe as to how one of its head constables got involved in an espionage ring.

''The court of inquiry will run independent of the probe conducted by Delhi police, who have registered an FIR. The inquiry will cover aspects like how it happened, why it happened and what corrective steps are required in order to stop repeat of such incidents,'' BSF chief D K Pathak said.