It all started with National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval writing a letter to the Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth about a news channel showing images of Arihant nuclear submarine with the Prime Minister in October 2014. NSA had then pointed it to the Cabinet Secretary that the information with news channel was a violation of the Official Secrets Act. He had also asked the Cabinet Secretary to advise all the Government departments to be cautious in dealing with classified information pertaining to national security and other vital issues.
The NSA had also noted, “It has been observed the last few years it has become a regular practice, particularly in the media, to violate secrecy laws with impunity. As the leaks most often emanate from Government establishments, it also becomes necessary to reiterate Government instructions and guidelines on the subject to all Ministries/departments dealing with classified information”.
Accordingly Intelligence Bureau (IB) launched a probe and the information was shared with the Delhi Police. The arrest of seven people in connection with the leak and theft of papers from Petroleum Ministry is one such case. The alarm bells started ringing in the corridors of South and North Block Sources. Centre wants to plug all such loopholes to prevent theft or espionage, said a senior police official involved in the investigations.
Crime Branch was asked to carry out a detailed probe into this shady business. They mounted electronic surveillance on the activities of the suspects and their movements were closely monitored. Investigators were stumped to see the quantum of leak that was being carried out by some greedy staffers of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (P&NG) for a price.
Crime Branch sleuths recovered photocopies of papers of Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell on the ‘monthly gas report/December 2014’ dated February 16, 2015 signed by Atreyee Das, Director General of the cell. The interrogation of the accused persons further led to the recovery of photocopies of documents of Exploration Division, Ministry of P&NG that was duly signed by Nalin Kumar Srivastava, Deputy Secretary.
Other materials recovered from the possession of the accused include photocopies of ‘background note’ on performance of upstream sector and others. Investigators say it is just the tip of the iceberg and it may lead to more startling revelations.