Espionage racket: BSF personnel sent to 7 days police custody

BSF head constable Abdul Rasheed, arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, was today remanded in police custody till December 7 by a Delhi court.
Rasheed, who was posted as a head constable at BSF head quarters, intelligence wing at Jammu, was produced before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khangwal by the crime branch of Delhi Police which sought his custodial interrogation for unearthing the entire conspiracy.
Seeking seven days police custody of Rasheed, the police alleged that he was involved in spying activities and several incriminating documents have been recovered from his house.
The police said he was required to be taken to various places in Jammu and Kashmir, including Rajouri district, and questioned for identification of his associates.

"Rasheed was working at the intelligence unit of BSF head quarters at Jammu where each and every document was secret in nature and he was supplying the documents to his associates," the police said.
At this juncture, the judge asked the police, "Is there any involvement of any senior officers?"

Responding to the court's query, the police said, "Not yet. We are doing the probe. He (Rasheed) is required to be interrogated for ascertaining the money trail as well and the payments made to him for supply of documents."
The court also said that the matter pertains to national security.

As soon as the proceedings commenced, the judge asked Rasheed to take the cover off his face.
Besides Rasheed, Kafaitullah Khan alias Master Raja (44), a resident of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, was intercepted and arrested in connection with the case at New Delhi railway station while he was on his way from Jammu to Bhopal on November 26 rpt November 26.
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According to crime branch, Kafaitullah Khan was a handler of Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO) and Rasheed was one of his chief sources and the espionage racket run by them was supported by Pakistan's ISI. They have been arrested under various provisions of IPC and Official Secrets Act.

Information was largely passed through e-mail, Whatsapp and Viber networks with Khan being given specific tasks mainly concerned with the deployment of security forces and Air Force Operations, a police official said.
The police has said Khan had boarded a train from Jammu and was going to Bhopal to allegedly recruit more people in the espionage racket. "Documents having implication on national security" were recovered from his possession, it has said.
"In 2013, he visited Pakistan and came into contact with ISI agent there. He agreed to share with them secret information of the defence forces in exchange of money," the police has said, adding that Khan soon started cultivating sources in the Indian Army and BSF, and some of them allegedly started passing him secret documents.

Rasheed was his relative and Khan soon roped him into the network, luring him with a share of the commission he received from alleged ISI agents in Pakistan, it has said.