Indian Navy espionage case: NIA files chargesheet against absconding suspected Pak national among two

New Delhi [India]: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against a suspected absconding Pakistani national among two in an espionage case relating to the Indian Navy.

The anti-terror agency filed the chargesheet in Andhra Pradesh against absconding Pakistani operative Meer Balaj Khan and arrested accused Akash Solanki.

The federal agency said the two chargesheeted accused along with other Pakistan Intelligence agents were involved in the espionage racket in which sensitive information pertaining to the Indian Navy was being leaked as part of an anti-India conspiracy.

Solanki, who was working as an Electrical Artificer Radio Apprentice (EAC) at the Naval Dockyard, Vishakhapatnam, was passing on classified information relating to the Indian Navy Warships and submarines, said the NIA, adding “he was sharing the information with a suspected Pakistani intelligence operative, operating under the assumed identity of ‘Aditi Chouhan’, as well as other unidentified individuals.”

The NIA investigations had further revealed that Solanki had been receiving monetary compensation from the suspected Pakistani operative Meer Balaj Khan through crypto channels in exchange for the information.

“Meer Balaj Khan’s credentials obtained from Binance (leading Crypto-currency Exchange) disclosed a Pakistan ID card during investigations,” said the NIA.

Both Solanki, 21, a resident of Firozabad district in Uttar Pradesh, and Meer Balaj Khan were chargesheeted under relevant sections of the Indian Pena Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the NIA Special Court, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

The case had been registered initially by Counter Intelligence Cell, Vijayawada Andhra Pradesh, and was subsequently re-registered by the NIA on June 5 this year.

“Two persons, including Solanki, have so far been arrested in the case, in which further investigations are continuing,” added the NIA.