Pakistani High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar has been arrested after the Delhi Police found defence-related documents from his possession. He was arrested on Thursday after a tip-off and has been sent to Chanakypuri police station.
However, he was soon let off after interrogation owing to diplomatic immunity.
Reports suggest that the officer is on ISI payroll. He has been accused of gathering information from spies and passing it on to Pakistan. He had been in touch with his local contacts for months to get sensitive information on defence and other issues.
He was under surveillance for over a month and was held with classified documents and maps related to Indian defence positions. It is also being said that the Central government was initially reluctant to give a go ahead for the arrest.
The Crime Branch has also arrested Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir hav belonging to Rajasthan for allegedly passing on sensitive information to the staffer.
“The spies are residents of Rajasthan working for Pakistan’s ISI. The spies were in touch with the staff here at Pakistan High Commission and were providing sensitive information,” said a senior police officer.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has summoned Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit at 11:30 AM in connection with the case.
