NewKerala.com

Navy Espionage Case: Two More Sentenced in Pak-Linked Spy Network

The NIA has secured convictions against two more individuals in the Pakistan-linked Navy espionage case. Kalavalapalli Konda Babu and Aviansh Somal received nearly six years imprisonment for sharing sensitive defense information. Investigations revealed they communicated with Pakistani intelligence agents through WhatsApp after initial contact on Facebook. This brings the total convictions to six in the ongoing espionage network investigation.

Key Points: NIA Sentences Two in Pakistan-Linked Visakhapatnam Navy Spy Case

  • Two accused sentenced to 5 years 10 months under Official Secrets Act
  • Total six convicted so far in Pakistan-linked Navy spy network
  • Accused received monetary benefits for sharing classified defense information
  • Contact with Pak agents initiated through Facebook before switching to WhatsApp
2 min read

NIA sentences 2 more in Pak-linked Visakhapatnam Navy spying case

NIA court sentences two more accused to nearly 6 years imprisonment in Pakistan-linked Navy espionage case involving classified defense information sharing via WhatsApp.

"They were in touch with foreign intelligence agencies through WhatsApp, and were involved in the sharing of sensitive and classified information - NIA Statement"

New Delhi, Nov 11

Two more accused persons have been sentenced to Simple Imprisonment (SI) in the Pakistan-linked Visakhapatnam Navy espionage case by a Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), an official said on Tuesday.

The NIA Special Court at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) on November 7 sentenced Kalavalapalli Konda Babu of Visakhapatnam District (Andhra Pradesh) and Aviansh Somal of Kangra District (Himachal Pradesh) to 5 years and 10 months of SI under each of sections 18 of UA(P) Act and section 3 of the Official Secrets Act.

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each, and in the event of default of payment, the accused persons will have to undergo an additional one-year SI in the case, said an NIA statement.

With this, a total of six accused persons have been convicted and sentenced in the case so far, relating to spying at vital installations and Indian Navy establishments by foreign spies/agents with the intent to threaten its unity, integrity, security and sovereignty.

The two accused, now convicted and sentenced, were arrested in December 2019 from Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Karwar (Karnataka) respectively in the case RC-05/2019/NIA/HYD.

The NIA investigations revealed that they were in touch with foreign intelligence agencies through WhatsApp, and were involved in the sharing of sensitive and classified information related to Indian Defence establishments and deployments.

As per investigations, both men had come in contact with Pakistan intelligence agents through Facebook initially.

They had received monetary benefits instead of secret and classified information from Pak agents through accused Abdul Rehman, Haroon Lakdawala, Shaista Qaiser and Imran Giteli, who were convicted in the case earlier this year.

These four accused were found to have deposited various amounts into the accounts of accused persons on the directions of Pak Intelligence Agents as part of the espionage conspiracy, said the statement.

The NIA, which took over the investigation from the Counter-Intelligence Police Station, Intelligence Department, Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh Police) in December 2019, had arrested a total of 15 accused persons over the years.

In June 2020, the agency had chargesheeted 14 accused persons, followed by a supplementary chargesheet against one more accused person in March 2021.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Shocked that people are selling national secrets for money through WhatsApp and Facebook! Shows we need better cyber awareness among defense personnel and their contacts.
P
Priya S
Only 5 years imprisonment for compromising national security? The punishment should have been much stricter. They put our soldiers' lives at risk! 😠
A
Arjun K
Good work by NIA! But I'm worried about how easily foreign agents can approach people through social media. We need stronger digital surveillance and public awareness campaigns.
M
Michael C
The fact that this network operated across multiple states - Andhra, Himachal, Maharashtra, Karnataka - shows how widespread these espionage attempts are. Vigilance is needed everywhere.
K
Kavya N
While I support strong action against spies, I hope the investigation was thorough and evidence solid. We must ensure no innocent person gets caught in such cases. Justice should be fair.
V
Vikram M
Jai Hind! Our intelligence agencies are doing great work protecting the nation. Every citizen should be alert and report any suspicious activities. National security is everyone's responsibility.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50