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Punjab Police nab armyman for leaking info to Pakistan’s ISI
The accused's activities had come to the fore after the arrest of a drug peddler, identified as Amrik Singh, from Patiala in May 2022.
Punjab Police has nabbed a sepoy posted as a computer operator at Western Command headquarters, Chandimandir, for allegedly supplying sensitive information to Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI), through a drug peddler.
The accused has been identified as Manpreet Sharma, who hails from Bhopal. His activities had come to the fore after the arrest of a drug peddler, identified as Amrik Singh, from Patiala in May 2022.
During the course of investigation into the drug case, police had recovered five mobile phones, each of a different company. Upon further examination by the cybercrime cell, it was found that one of these mobile phones contained evidence of Amrik’s communication with ISI agents. He was in constant touch with an ISI agent Sher Khan, through a foreign SIM card, and had allegedly leaked a 140-page dossier of vital information. He had also shared maps of the army area, pictures of such locations and other army infrastructure, which the police now believe were sourced through the sepoy arrested on Sunday.
There are many voice recordings, which the police and Army are investigating one by one.
In one of the recordings, an ISI agent is talking to Amrik about having arranged a cross-border drone. The agent is also heard asking the drug smuggler whether he has received the two AK-47 and 250 cartridges sent to him, to which Amrik responds in the affirmative.
Senior superintendent of police Varun Sharma said, “Police connected the dots of the entire spy network through the drug peddler and arrested Manpreet Sharma, a computer operator posted at Western Command, Chandimandir. He is associated with drug peddler Amrik Singh.”
He refused to share more information, terming the case as highly sensitive, but confirmed that the accused had shared vital information, which has been brought to notice of higher officials in the Army.
Sources said that as soon as Manpreet found out that the police had contacted the Army to join investigation in Amrik’s case, he proceeded on leave. However, he was nabbed a in joint operation with ATS Madhya Pradesh from Bhopal railway station. Punjab Police is bringing him to Patiala for remand. Sources also revealed that Amrik was coerced into sharing the sensitive information after being caught in a honey trap laid by the ISI. “Police is also likely to quiz a retired IAS officer of Punjab, who is reportedly a relative of Amrik, and used to visit him in jail,” the sources revealed.
