E-Paper
ED attaches north-west Delhi house of journalist accused of spying for Chinese
ED registered a case against journalist Rajeev Sharma on the basis of the Delhi Police charge sheet filed against the journalist last year.
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached the Delhi house of freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma who was arrested in September 2020 for allegedly supplying sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers.
The residential property in the national Capital’s Pitampura worth ₹48.21 lakh has been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, a statement by the central agency said on Saturday.
Sharma was granted bail by Delhi high court last week. He was arrested by Delhi Police in September 2020 under Official Secrets Act (OSA) for alleged links with Chinese intelligence officers and receiving funds from them in lieu of sharing information on national security and foreign relations.
Based on the Delhi Police case, ED launched a money laundering probe against him in February 2021 and arrested him under PMLA in July 2021.
“Investigation under PMLA revealed that Rajeev Sharma had supplied confidential and sensitive information to Chinese Intelligence officers, in exchange for remuneration thereby compromising the security and national interests of the country. It was revealed that such remuneration to Rajeev Sharma was being provided by a Mahipalpur-based shell company that was run by Chinese nationals - Zhang Cheng alias Suraj, Zhang Lixia alias Usha and Qing Shi along with a Nepali national Sher Singh alias Raj Bohara,” ED said in its statement on Saturday.
The company involved in the case has been identified as M Z Pharmacy.
ED further said “the Chinese company was acting as a conduit for the Chinese Intelligence agencies to provide remuneration for persons like Rajeev Sharma indulged in criminal activities. The remuneration was being paid in cash through carriers as well as through cash deposits. Sharma also received money using the bank account of his friend in order to conceal his involvement in criminal activities. In addition to obtaining remunerations in cash, he also received remuneration in kind in the form of various paid foreign trips which were arranged by the Chinese intelligence agents”.
