Espionage case: US diplomat leaves India

An American woman diplomat, who was allegedly involved with an espionage network in the National Security Council Secretariat, has left India, informed sources said in New Delhi on Monday night.

The diplomat, Rosanne Minchew, who was allegedly receiving information from arrested NSCS official S S Paul has left India after the Government took up the issue with the US authorities, the sources said.

The diplomat was understood to have been associated with Indo-US Cyber Security Forum, a joint initiative of the two countries to fight international terrorism.

When contacted, a US Embassy spokesman refused to comment upon the issue. The spy ring came to light in the middle of last month with the arrest of Paul, a computer systems administrator in NSCS which gets assessments from intelligence agencies on security issues, the sources said.

The Special Cell of Delhi police has registered a case in connection with the spy ring following a complaint filed by the Cabinet Secretariat.

Sources said a senior RAW officer, who was working with the cyber wing of the agency, has been questioned by the Intelligence Bureau with regard to the case. A Navy commander, who was also associated with NSCS, has been interrogated for allegedly leaking sensitive information, they added.

The spy network in the NSC Secretariat comes after the episode involving Rabinder Singh, a senior RAW officer, who had defected to the US in 2004 after security agencies suspected him of supplying secrets to his American contacts.