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Balasore: A person working as a casual videographer with the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur since 2007 was arrested here today for allegedly passing information to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, IG (East Zone) Asit Panigrahi informed mediapersons.
The accused, identified as 35-year-old Ishwar Chandra Behera of Kantipur village in Baisinga block of Mayurbhanj district, used to supply confidential information on various missiles test-fired by DRDO from Wheeler Island to his ISI conduit in Kolkata. A hard disc, two mobile phones and a bank passbook have been seized from him, Panigrahi added.
Though Behera initially denied his links with ISI, he later confessed that he came in contact with an ISI operative in Kolkata during a visit. He told the police that he then visited Kolkata very often to meet the ISI point man in the pretext of getting his cameras repaired there. He is believed to have met the ISI man around 10 times so far, the IG said.
According to Panigrahi, Behera used to get money from ISI through net-banking routed via Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Meerut, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. So far, Behera has received Rs 50,000 in his account in six installments from the ISI agent in lieu of his service. Some money also came through Money Order, the official added.
Acting on IB inputs, police had kept strict vigil on Behera’s activities. He was tracked for eight months and was caught with evidence that he was keeping secret contact with the ISI agent in Kolkata. He has even got calls from Pakistan in his cell phone, Panigrahi said.
A team, led by Balasore SP Abinash Kumar, finally arrested Behera today. The facts came to light after sleuths interrogated him. A case has been register against him in Chandipur police station and he has been charged under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 121-A (treason) of IPC.
“Behera will be forwarded to court tomorrow. We will pray the court to allow us to take him on 14-day remand,” the official said, adding that efforts are on to bust the whole module operating behind the network.
