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Days after Dubai honeymoon, Navyman arrested from Agra for ISI espionage
The accused was apprehended from his native village Chitpur under Kagarol police station limits in Agra district.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested an Indian Navy sailor from Agra on Tuesday on charges of allegedly spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), barely three days after he returned from his honeymoon in Dubai, senior officials said on Wednesday.
Investigators are also examining his recent foreign trip as part of the ongoing espionage probe.
The accused, identified as Adarsh Kumar Singh alias Lucky, a seaman in the Indian Navy, was apprehended from his native village Chitpur under Kagarol police station limits in Agra district. Officials said he had returned to India last Saturday after travelling to Dubai with his wife following their wedding.
Adarsh married a woman from Vishawar in Mathura on February 19 at Suraj Garden in Kagarol. Soon after the ceremony, the couple left for Dubai for their honeymoon. Security agencies detained him shortly after his return. Investigators are now scrutinising details of the Dubai visit to determine whether it had any connection with his alleged links to ISI operatives.
ATS officials alleged that Adarsh, who was posted with the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, Kerala, had been sharing sensitive information related to Indian naval assets with Pakistani handlers. Investigators claim he transmitted photographs and details of warships and other strategic installations to ISI operatives.
Sources said the ATS had been tracking his activities for some time following intelligence inputs suggesting he was leaking classified information. During interrogation and forensic examination of electronic devices seized from him, investigators reportedly found material indicating his involvement in the alleged espionage activities. Officials added that documents recovered from the accused also point to financial transactions suspected to be linked to the espionage network.
Adarsh was produced before a court in Agra after his arrest and remanded in judicial custody. Security agencies are now probing whether other individuals could be part of the suspected espionage network and are closely analysing his travel history, particularly the Dubai visit.
The arrest has come as a shock to residents of Chitpur village. When local reporters visited the area, the accused’s house was found locked and the locality appeared tense.
Villagers said Adarsh had joined the Indian Navy about six years ago and was generally known as a quiet and well-mannered person.
“We never imagined he could be linked to Pakistan or involved in spying. He always seemed simple and soft-spoken,” a villager said.
Residents added that Adarsh belongs to a joint family. His father, Balveer Singh, one of three brothers in the family, works at a liquor shop. The sudden arrest of the newly married sailor has triggered widespread discussion in the village, with many expressing disbelief that someone they knew as an ordinary young man could face allegations of espionage.
