The contractual cameraman of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Baleswar district, Ishwar Chandra Behera, who was arrested on Thursday on the charge of spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, was sent to judicial custody on Friday after he was denied bail by the Baleswar SDJM Court.
The Baleswar police are planning to take him on remand for further interrogation.
Behera, who hails from Kantipur village under the Baisinga Police Station in Mayurbhanj district, had been working at the ITR as a contractual photographer since 2007, has been charged for treason and criminal conspiracy.
He had been allegedly passing on vital information on the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) missile plans to Pakistan’s ISI.
“We had intelligence inputs on his activities, after gathering evidence we nabbed him. He, during his interrogation, has confessed to sharing vital secrets with a foreign country. He has been booked under various Sections of IPC and the Official Secrets Act,” said Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik to reporters in Bhubaneswar.
On the other hand, none at Behara’s village Kantipur is prepared to believe that he could have done such a grievous crime.
His family believes that he has been framed by someone with malafide intention.
The villagers said Ishwar had put up a photo studio at the village after passing BA till he got the job at ITR in 2007.
Ishwar’s father Nilakantha Behera’s sai, “What can I sayIJ I have no idea. I cannot believe that he could have done it. He has never told us anything. Whenever he used to come to the village, he would have his food, enjoy his sleep and then take pictures in the village with his cameras. At this moment, what can an old father like me who is ignorant, tellIJ All I can tell is he has been framed.”
“I do not know anything. My boy is innocent; he has been framed by someone with bad intent.” said a sobbing Supamani, Ishwar’s mother.