An Indian embassy employees member posted in Moscow was arrested on January 28 from his native place in Uttar Pradesh for divulging delicate Indian army data. The man was allegedly lured into an online of espionage by the Pakistani spy company Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), investigators revealed this week. 

Honey lure

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Satyendra Siwal, a 27-year-old safety assistant stationed on the Indian Embassy in Moscow since 2021, as per media reviews, has confessed to divulging details about Indian army installations and international affairs issues.

“During his tenure in Moscow, he came into contact with a woman who claimed to be from Canada and developed a relationship with her, despite being married and having children,” revealed investigators.

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The girl, allegedly working for Pakistan’s ISI, enticed Siwal into revealing categorised knowledge in trade for cash (₹25 Lakh or $2.5 million) by means of her contacts.

“Siwal was offered money in exchange for information through her contacts,” mentioned an Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officer, as reported by The Times Of India.

ATS officers found a number of funds from unidentified sources in Siwal’s Indian checking account in Moscow, which he could not clarify.

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The ATS has now requested Moscow to authenticate particulars of Siwal’s financial institution accounts there. 

Charges Siwal faces

Siwal now faces expenses below part 121A (conspiracy towards the state) and the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

UP ATS ADG Mohit Agarwal confirmed that every one of Siwal’s digital gadgets have been confiscated and despatched for a forensic audit to retrieve any erased or tampered knowledge. Quoting ATS sources, the publication reported that ISI operatives have been making an attempt to lure Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) staff with monetary incentives for delicate data.

(With inputs from businesses)