Army veteran among 2 held in Assam for passing defence information to Pakistani operative, were ‘honey-trapped’ via online sex rackets

The accused include an Army veteran working on contract after retirement and a Bihar resident, with police alleging they shared information on Army movements.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police has arrested two people, including an Indian Army veteran, in Guwahati for their alleged involvement with a Pakistan’s intelligence operative.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. (ANI)

According to the police, one of the arrested was identified as Abhishek Kumar Singh (31), a Bihar resident. He was allegedly passing confidential information concerning security forces to the Pakistani operative, they said.

Army veteran was working on contract after retirement

Meanwhile, the veteran, whose identity is currently unknown, was working with the army on a contractual basis post his retirement, the chief minister said in a press conference after a cabinet meeting.

“Today, as per input of central agencies, the Assam Police arrested two persons. One is a retired army jawan but currently working on a contractual basis with the army,” said Sarma at a press conference, when asked about an espionage-related arrest which was shared with the media through a police statement.

Police say accused were honey-trapped by Pakistani operative

“He, along with the other person, was sharing all the updates regarding Indian Army’s movements here,” Sarma added. The chief minister said that both of the accused were honey-trapped by Pakistani operative through online sex rackets.

Senior police officers did not respond to HT’s requests for further details of the veteran.

Singh, a resident of Bihar’s Purba Champaran district, was apprehended from a rented house in Gandhinagar under Satgaon Police Station in Guwahati during an operation conducted by the Assam STF in the intervening night of October 3 and 4, police said.

Military intelligence input led to STF probe

Assam Police said in a press statement that the operation was carried out after intelligence regarding Singh’s alleged anti-national activities. “The operation was launched on the basis of a preliminary input received from Gajraj military intelligence, Tezpur,” police said.

According to the police, the STF worked on the intelligence input and further developed information regarding Singh’s alleged activities and his suspected links with a Pakistani intelligence operative.

“During the preliminary investigation, our teams found Singh’s involvement in espionage-related activities, including passing secret information concerning security forces to the Pakistan Intelligence Operative,” police stated.

Phone, SIM cards and documents seized

During the operation, the STF seized a mobile phone, SIM cards and documents described by the police as incriminating from Singh’s possession.

The police, however, did not disclose the specific nature of the information that Singh allegedly shared and the exact manner in which the alleged communication or transfer of information happened.

“We are investigating the matter further and also examining the duration of his communications with the Pakistan-based operatives. However, we cannot share further information as of now since this is a sensitive case,” a senior officer said.