New Delhi: The Delhi Police, on Saturday, officially said that freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma was passing sensitive and classified information to Chinese intelligence.

After many years, Indian law enforcement agencies have accused Chinese intelligence of running an espionage racket. Rajeev Sharma has been arrested along with a Chinese woman, Qin Shi and her Nepalese associate, Sher Singh.

“Special Cell has arrested a freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma for passing sensitive information to Chinese intelligence,” the Delhi Police said in a statement.

The case is being probed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (special cell) Sanjeev Yadav. “A Chinese woman and her Nepalese aide have also been arrested for paying Sharma large amounts of money routed through shell companies,” said DCP (special cell) Sanjeev Yadav.

The Delhi Police has said that the Chinese Intelligence Agencies had reportedly asked for ‘sensitive information’ from Sharma and offered large amounts of money.

A large number of mobile phones, laptops and other incriminating and sensitive material have been recovered, sources said.

(Nepalese man Sher Singh)

Sources said Sharma, a resident of Pitampura in north-west Delhi was arrested by the special cell on 14th September. An FIR (230/2020) has been filed in an Official Secrets Act case.

“He was found to be in possession of some defence-related classified documents. Investigation in the case is still on,” said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity.

(Chinese woman Qing Shi )

Sharma was produced before a Delhi court on 15th September. He is presently being questioned by a joint team of Central Intelligence Agencies and special cell of the Delhi Police.

Sharma had earlier worked with a news agency and some prominent newspaper. He also wrote columns for several publications and ran a YouTube channel. His primary focus area was foreign and strategic affairs.

In August, the Income Tax carried out raids on several Chinese nationals living in the national capital region, who were accused of money laundering.

During the probe, it was found that Charlie Peng aka Lou Peng had tried to pay bribes to monks living in Majnu ka Tila (North Delhi) so that he could enter the core group of Dalai Lama.

Lou Peng entered India illegally in 2014 and assumed Indian Identity. Chinese intelligence had given him the task of keeping a tab on Tibetan refugees and Dalai Lama.