ISI agents Akash Solanki and Manmohan Surendra Panda were arrested in July 2023, while Pakistani intelligence operatives Meer Balaj Khan and Alven are still at large.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out extensive searches at multiple locations across seven states in a significant operation to probe a case involving the leakage of classified defense information through a Pakistani espionage network. The operation, which took place on Wednesday, was disclosed in an official statement released on Thursday.
The NIA teams targeted 16 locations linked to individuals suspected of receiving funds from Pakistan to engage in spying activities in India. The raids were conducted in Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Haryana, according to the statement.
During the searches, the NIA seized 22 mobile phones and several sensitive documents, which are expected to provide crucial evidence in the ongoing investigation. The case, originally registered by the counter-intelligence cell of Andhra Pradesh in January 2021, was taken over by the NIA in July 2023.
The investigation revolves around the alleged leakage of sensitive information related to the Indian Navy, as part of an anti-India conspiracy orchestrated by operatives from across the border. On July 19, 2023, the NIA had already filed a charge sheet against two accused individuals, including an absconding Pakistani national, identified as Meer Balaj Khan. Khan, in collaboration with another accused, Akash Solanki, was reportedly involved in the espionage activities.
Further developments in the case saw the NIA filing a supplementary charge sheet on November 6, 2023, against two more individuals, Manmohan Surendra Panda, who has been arrested, and Alven, a Pakistani intelligence operative who remains at large. In May 2024, the NIA submitted its second supplementary charge sheet against another accused, Amaan Salim Shaikh, for his alleged role in conspiring with Pakistani intelligence operatives. The ongoing investigation continues to unravel the extent of the espionage network and its impact on national security.
