Investigation into an espionage racket involving a Border Security Force (BSF) Head Constable and his Indian handler Kafaitullah Khan, has led the Delhi Police to the door of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. An official of the High Commission has been identified by the investigators and a report is being sent to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for further action.
This is not the first time that diplomats and staffers posted at Pakistan High Commission at New Delhi have been involved in aiding and abetting espionage to gather information about the movement of Indian armed forces especially on the Western Border.
Meanwhile, BSF Head Constable Abdul Rasheed was produced before Patiala House court on Monday and remanded in seven-day police custody.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) RS Yadav said on Monday, “An espionage racket has been unearthed. Kafaitullah Khan, alias Master Raja, an alleged handler of the Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO), was running the espionage racket here backed by the spy outfit. We are investigating the extent of information that was passed on by the module.”
“During interrogation, Khan told the police that he was to meet his counterpart in Pakistan to avail more resources for the racket. An ISI operative in Pakistan had told him that a source in the Pakistan High Commission would help him secure a visa to travel to that country,” Yadav added.
Khan was going to Bhopal where he was supposed to meet another PIO handler to seek information about the source who could easily arrange his visa.
“Khan was, however, intercepted in Delhi on Thursday on the way to Bhopal where he was also to attend a religious congregation and recruit youths for the espionage racket,” Yadav said.
“Once we get some leads with further interrogation of the accused duo arrested so far, we shall have to approach the Union Ministry of External Affairs for their permission to question staff at the High Commission's office,” he added.
Khan was arrested for passing on information on deployment of security forces and Indian Air Force and is suspected to have contacts in the Army too. Sources said Kafiatullah Khan was selected in BSF as well as Jammu & Kashmir Police, but did not join either force. The Crime Branch has sought Kafaitullah's dossiers from the Jammu & Kashmir Police.
During interrogation, Khan, who is the native of a village in Rajouri district of Jammu & Kashmir, disclosed about his cousin, Abdul Rasheed, who was posted as a head constable in the Intelligence wing of BSF there, police said.
In IJ2013, he went to Gujaranwala in Pakistan where an ISI operative lured him with money. The ISI operative had promised him huge money for passing on secret and confidential information. When Khan started doing so, he was put on a permanent pay roll and promised performance-based appraisals, said an official.
Kaifaitullah asked Rasheed to join ISI module. Rasheed was with BSF for long. He has worked with BSF at West Bengal border and Gujarat border. He was posted at Intelligence unit of BSF based in Rajouri for three years. Rasheed shared confidential documents of security movements and Intel inputs with Khan.
“Khan was taken to Rajouri district and Rasheed too was arrested following a raid. The police recovered secret and confidential documents in connection with force deployment locations, movements and patrolling routes of security forces from possession of both the accused,” he said. Both of them have been booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act”, the Joint CP said.
According to police, information was largely passed on through WhatsApp to the Pakistani handlers to avoid detection by security agencies.
Meanwhile, a Crime Branch team sent to Jammu is also looking for an Army man who is also suspected to be close to Khan and is believed to have allegedly passed on secret information posing threat to national security, the official said.
The police are also investigating a money trail in connection with the transfer amounts which Khan used to receive from his counterpart in Pakistan through UAE and Saudi Arabia routes, said an official privy to the investigation.