Indian Army clerk held on charges of spying for Pakistan

The intelligence wing of the Rajasthan police on Friday arrested an alleged Pakistani spy working as a clerk in the Indian Army.

The upper divisional clerk in the South-West Command, B K Sinha (43), is accused of passing on secrets to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Dalpat Singh Dinkar told the media that Sinha came in contact with an ISI agent through a retired Army officer when he was posted in Siliguri, West Bengal, between 2000 and 2011. Sinha was transferred to Jaipur in 2011, but stayed in touch with an ISI agent in Kathmandu.

According to Dinkar, Sinha had flown to Kathmandu at least four times over the past two years and stayed in hotels at the agent's expense. He would pass on strategically important information to the agent. The agent used to transfer the money he received in his bank account from time to time.

Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) Janardan Sharma said that Sinha joined Army as a lower division clerk in 1995 and then he was posted in Siliguri between 2000 and 2011.

After keeping a watch on Sinha's activities for several days, a notice for interrogation was served on him on Tuesday. He was arrested under various sections of the Official Secrets Act on Wednesday and produced in court on Thursday. The court remanded him in seven days' police custody.

Army spokesman Colonel S D Goswami said Sinha was a defence civilian employee. ''It is a police case as he is not subject to the Army Act,'' he said. ''The army will extend full cooperation [to the investigators].''

A case has been registered against Sinha under the Army Act.

Several incriminating documents and other items were seized from his flat in Jhotwara area where he lived with his wife and three children. "During preliminary questioning, he admitted he was contacted by the ISI through a retired army officer," said Dinkar.

Officials said as an upper division clerk posted in the Army Supply Corps, Sinha used to keep records of the movement of army vehicles.

"Our initial tip-off was regarding Sinha's suspicious trips to Nepal," Dinkar said. "He had flown four times to Kathmandu and stayed in luxury hotels at the ISI's expense."

Apart from his Nepal visits, Sinha is accused of using the internet and other means of communication to send strategically important information to his handling officer, Dinkar said. "We have seized some bank accounts belonging to Sinha," the officer said.

"Amounts of Rs10,000, Rs20,000 and Rs40,000 have been deposited in the bank accounts from time to time. Sinha was paid in Nepalese rupees as well as Indian currency."