A Pakistani spy was arrested by the Rajasthan police from the Jaisalmer district of the state. The police on Thursday arrested the alleged spy and have also seized various items that he had which contained information on India’s defense institutions.
The accused Nandlal aged 26 hails from Sangad district in Pakistan. He was arrested from a hotel in Jaisalmer by a team of Criminal Investigation Department led by ASP Rajiv Dutta ADGP.
“A team led by Rajeev Dutta, ADSP with CID Special Branch, arrested Pakistani national Nandlal Maharaj, 26, from Hotel Maru Palace in Jaisalmer on Thursday for alleged spying,” Additional Director General (Intelligence) Utkal Ranjan Sahoo said.
“The suspect is from from Khipro, in Sanghar district of Pakistan’s Sindh province, which is on Rajasthan border, and came through Munabao in Barmer on August 5. Two mobile phones with micro SD cards, 2010 Indian Rupees, 30 Pakistani Rupees and a diary containing information on money received from ISI, were recovered from him.
The SD cards contained classified information and photographs related to India’s defence institutions and vehicles” Sahoo said.
Initial investigation has found that the accused is by profession a cloth trader in Pakistan and used to smuggle various items from one place to another which included silk. His several associated in Rajasthan used to help him near the border areas. He further sold that silk for cheap to the people in India in order to obtain information from them about the defence agencies. “He collected the information and shared it with Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence officials using WhatsApp, Facebook and Skype,” the ADGP said.
A senior officer told, “On condition of anonymity that this was Nandlal’s fourth visit after 2010, 2012 and 2014. He had come to India on the Thar Express on August 5 on a valid visa. “His visit to Jaisalmer was illegal as the visa issued was for Jodhpur.”
“Depending upon the information he gave to ISI, he received varying amounts of money, all of which have been recorded in the diary,” he said.
Nandlal was arrested under sections 3 and 3 (9) of Official Secret Act 1923. He was presented before the court on Friday and was later brought to Jaipur. The officer told that here he will be further interrogated about his activities and his associates in Jaipur.
Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said the arrested accuse is an ISI agent and was being tracked for a long time.
“He calls himself a cloth merchant and we have seized a diary and photographs. It is suspected that he also smuggled explosives,” Yadav said.
“We were after him for a long time. He had been regularly visiting here for the past few years. He collected information from people and sent it to Pakistan,” state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said.
Officials said this case is different from others as Nandlal Maharaj is a Hindu and had valid documents.
