Three armymen held in three years for spying: Parrikar

The minister said that the defence personnel are being sensitised against the ISI traps

Three serving army personnel were arrested on charges of involvement in spying in the last three years, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

He also said that seven ex-servicemen too were held on spying charge.

"During the last three years, three serving army personnel were arrested for alleged involvement in spying activities at the behest of Pakistan intelligence operatives," Parrikar said.

"Such incidents have happened in the past also. Service personnel are regularly educated on the modus operandi adopted by Pakistan's intelligence operatives. Further, such spying activities are related to providing defence-related information like army deployment, movement and training exercises, appointment of senior officers, tactical number etc.," the defence minister said.

JD(U) member Harivansh, who put a question on the issue, however, said that in a reply in the upper house in the last parliament session, MoS for Home Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary said 11 serving and retired defence personnel were arrested in the last three years for spying for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

"This is regarding serving officers, and refers to the last three years. Seven ex-army personnel have been arrested, besides these three," Parrikar said in reply.

Asked what the government was doing to check the situation, Parrikar said the defence personnel are being sensitised against the ISI traps.

"If you see, these personnel are not very high-ranking officers; there are jawans and junior commissioned officers. Many of them have been trapped into these activities, so we are sensitising army personnel to not fall in the trap," Parrikar said.