Three Sri Lankans alleged of spying for Pakistan charged in Indian Court
Saturday, 25 October 2014 00:54
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Three Sri Lankan nationals alleged of spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI were charged in an Indian Court Thursday.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the alleged espionage attempts by the Sri Lankans filed preliminary charges against Zahir Hussain, Siva Balan and Mohammed Saleem in Chennai City Court.
The three Sri Lankans are charged with nine counts under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, which deals with terrorist activities, Express News Service reported. Filing the charge-sheet against the alleged spies, the NIA submitted that investigations are still pending against six other accused, including two Pakistan High Commission officials in Colombo. Indian authorities recently uncovered an alleged plot by a Pakistan-based terror group to carry out suicide attacks on US and Israeli consulates in south India. The conspiracy was reportedly planned overseas including in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Maldives.
The ‘Q’ Branch of the Tamil Nadu police arrested Zahir Hussain in April from Triplicane in Chennai after an intelligence agency of a foreign country alerted them. According to the police, Hussain, while maintaining that he was in Chennai for his cloth business, was sending information and photos of strategic installations in south India to two Pakistani officials in Colombo who had sent him to Chennai.
Following his arrest the police also nabbed his associate Siva Balan. The NIA last month arrested another Sri Lankan, Arun Selvarajan, suspected to be another member of the same spy ring. Selvarajan has been accused of taking photos and videos of vital security installations in Chennai and passing them on to his handler in the Pakistani high commission in Colombo. The case against Selvarajan is being investigated as a separate case.
According to NIA, investigations against the two Pakistani officials are also pending and two more accused, who have been identified, are yet to be arrested.
Responding to the allegations that ISI is operating a spy ring using Sri Lankan nationals, Pakistan recently said the allegations are an attempt to “create a wedge” between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
