Lucknow: An employee of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been detained by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on suspicion of spying for Pakistan’s intelligence service, ISI. His arrest took place in Meerut. The person who was detained, named Satendra Siwal, was employed by the Ministry of External Affairs as a Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS).
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The operation unfolded after ATS obtained intelligence from confidential sources revealing that ISI handlers were enticing Indian Ministry of External Affairs officials, promising money incentives in exchange for sensitive information relating to the Indian Army. The information being transferred presented a major threat to India’s internal and external security, the agency claimed.
One of the main participants in this espionage network was identified as Satendra Siwal, a resident of Shahmahiuddinpur hamlet in Hapur. It is believed that he was abusing his position at the Indian Embassy in Moscow to obtain sensitive documents. Driven by avarice, the defendant is accused of providing crucial intelligence to ISI handlers on the strategic undertakings of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of External Affairs, and Indian military establishments.
“The ATS was receiving intelligence from various confidential sources that the handlers of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, through some persons, were luring the employees of the Ministry of External Affairs with money to obtain strategically and strategically important information related to the Indian Army that is likely to pose a huge threat to the internal and external security of India,” the agency stated in a statement.
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After conducting a thorough investigation and collecting intelligence, Satendra Siwal was called to the ATS Field Unit in Meerut to be questioned. He allegedly gave unsatisfactory replies to questions before eventually confessing to his involvement in espionage. Since 2021, Satendra Siwal has been employed by the Indian Embassy in Moscow as an India Based Security Assistant (IBSA).
Sections of the Official Secrets Act and the charge of waging war against the nation have given rise to a formal complaint against Siwal.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that it is aware of Satendra Siwal’s arrest and is working with the investigative authorities in the case.