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Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad
Visakhapatnam police has arrested a naval officer of the Eastern Naval Command of the Navy for allegedly passing on classified and secret documents, including strategic navy maps and photographs, to a Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence agent.
Jasbir Singh, a deputy petty chief officer, has been remanded to judicial custody on Monday, after being charged under sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Indian Official Secrets Act, according to Vizag Police Commissioner A K Khan.
The arrest of the 44-year-old officer, who is incharge of the photo division of the ENC headquarters, was effected on a tip-off by intelligence agencies, which kept a close watch on his movements for the past 10 days.
His house at Vijayanagar colony in the port city was also raided and sensitive documents, maps and photographs were seized.
The naval intelligence, central intelligence and state intelligence agencies are also conducting parallel investigation into the episode.
Jasbir Singh was nabbed on August 12, after he allegedly sent secret documents to his Kathmandu-based ISI contact by e-mail from a cyber café in the port city.
The Vizag police is now probing the case from various angles to find out if the ISI operated a ring in the port city.
Jasbir Singh had reportedly visited Kathmandu last year and he was allegedly passing on sensitive information to ISI contacts there through courier, post and e-mail.
He was being paid for his 'services' through cash or bank instruments.
A native of Himachal Pradesh, Jasbir Singh had joined the Indian Navy way back in 1973.
He worked at several places before joining the ENC headquarters four years ago.
The seizures from his house and other places include information and pictures relating to key naval exercises, itinerary and equipment, besides bank instruments through which he reportedly got bribes of Rs 140,000.
The Vizag police commissioner said the details of the information that the JCO passed on to countries inimical to India and his contacts were being verified.
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