AHMEDABAD: Three people found guilty of spying for the Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) were sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday.
The Ahmedabad sessions court headed by additional principal judge AR Patel found the three accused, Sirajuddin Karmatali Fakir, Mohammad Ayub and Navsad Maksudali Saiyed, guilty under sections 121 (waging war against the government), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable under 121), 123 (Concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code. 75 witnesses have given testimony against the accused.
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch received information in October 2012 that a few residents were functioning as ISI agents. It investigated and apprehended Jamalpur residents Sirajuddin alias Raju Fakir and Mohammad Ayub alias Sakir Shaikh, seizing evidence including mobile phones and filing a FIR.
According to the investigation, Sirajuddin Fakir travelled to Pakistan in 2007 and met Taimur, a Pakistani spy, where he got training to identify the ranks of army officers and vehicles, and how to communicate information securely.
“Sirajuddin was willing to perform anti-Indian operations if Taimur offered him money in exchange for intelligence on the army. After returning to India, Sirajuddin worked as a dealer, supplying eggs to various army camps in order to gather information. After carrying out a recce of BSF camps in Rajasthan, Kutch, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, Sirajuddin conveyed extremely sensitive information, including troop movements, to Pakistan in two separate e-mail draught boxes. Sirajuddin first enlisted the assistance of Mohammed Ayub alias Sakir Sheikh to complete the e-mail,” said the crime branch.
The crime branch charged Sirajuddin alias Karamat Ali Fakir, Mohammad Ayub alias Sakir Shabbirbhai Sheikh and Naushad Ali Maksudali Ali Saiyed in this case in which nine foreign defendants, including Pakistani handlers Taimur and Tahir, were listed as wanted.
According to public prosecutor Bharat Patni, there is proof that between May 2010 and September 2012, Pakistani Taimur sent Rs 1.94 lakh through various money transfer companies in the names of several people in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Sirajuddin has allegedly been imprisoned since his arrest in 2012, while the other two were released on bond, according to his defence attorneys.