New Delhi: A ministry of external affairs (MEA) employee, working at the Indian embassy in Russia, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) Saturday for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The accused, identified as Satyendra Siwal, 26, belongs to Hapur district and has been serving as a multi-tasking staff at the embassy in Moscow since 2021.
According to the UP ATS, they had received inputs that ISI operatives were targeting MEA employees to obtain strategically sensitive and confidential information in return for money. They tracked down Siwal based on electronic and human intelligence sources.
A source in the UP ATS told ThePrint that Siwal had indulged in information sharing for a long time now, and when he returned home on leave on 27 January, he was summoned to the Meerut field unit of the special unit of the UP Police force.
“He was sharing confidential information since 2021 and we had called him yesterday (Saturday) to our unit and a case was registered after which he was arrested,” an officer in UP ATS told ThePrint.
“We had the inputs about his involvement in the offence and we interrogated and confronted him with undeniable facts. He confessed to the crime,” the officer added.
Meanwhile, a source in the MEA confirmed to ThePrint that the ministry was aware of the developments and that Siwal did work as its employee in the Moscow embassy. MEA continues to work with the investigative authorities in the matter, the source added.
“MEA is aware of the arrest of Satendra Siwal in Uttar Pradesh, who was posted as Security Assistant in the Embassy of India, Moscow,” the source said
Another source in the ministry said that Siwal joined the service in 2018, and Moscow was his first posting in the role since 2021.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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Such individual must be put behind the bar for lifetime under Deshdroh act..