LUCKNOW: A clerk of the revenue department, posted in the ADM’s office in Jhansi’s Babina Cantt area, was detained by sleuths of UP Anti-Terrorist Squad on Friday, following suspicion of an espionage ring active in the city.
As per the sources, Raghvendra Parihar, was suspected to be passing on vital pieces of information about army installations, battalion movement and other details about the military exercises in and around Jhansi to Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.
According to IG ATS Aseem Arun, they had a tip off from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) about Parihar’s suspicious activities —that he was providing access to the information about the army exercises taking place in Jhansi to his ISI handlers in Pakistan on the basis of the applications received at the DM office for quite some time.
Home to a massive field firing range, the army often carries out bilateral exercises with military personnel of other countries at Babina.
In fact, the applications for firing exercises of army received at the DM office at Babina Cantt has the details of army units and columns involved and the number of participating officers and troops.
As the ADM office is situated on the premises of Jhansi District collectorate, it was not difficult for Parihar to get those details and pass them on to the ISI in lieu of a handsome remuneration.
It is believed that on the basis of the information provided by Parihar, more arrests are likely to take place.