NIA conducts raids, seizes classified documents in raids linked to Pakistan espionage case

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday conducted searches in three locations across Gujarat and Maharashtra in the 2021 Visakhapatnam Pakistani ISI espionage case relating to leakage of classified defence information.
The residences of suspects believed to have received money from Pakistan to spy on Indian defence establishments, were thoroughly searched by NIA teams at the three locations.Several incriminating materials, including mobile phones and documents, were seized during the raids.
NIA is examining the seized materials to identify more linkages in the case, originally filed by the Counter Intelligence Cell, Andhra Pradesh, on January 12, 2021, under various sections of IPC, UAPA and Official Secrets Act, 1923.
NIA took over the case in June 2023, and on July 19, 2023, filed a chargesheet against two accused, including an absconding Pakistani national. This was followed by two more chargesheets against three others, including a Pakistani national.
NIA investigations have revealed that Pakistani nationals had collaborated with the arrested accused in the espionage racket, in which sensitive/vital information pertaining to the Indian Navy was being leaked as part of a conspiracy to unleash terrorist violence in India.