A serving army personnel was arrested by Delhi Police on Sunday from Siliguri in West Bengal in connection with the alleged ISI-linked espionage racket.
This takes the number of people taken into custody in the case to five. The accused, identified as Farid Khan, is an army hawaldar who allegedly shared secret information with suspected intelligence operatives.
“He was arrested from Siliguri today by the eight-member Crime Branch team which was rushed there,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said.
This arrest has been made in connection with the espionage racket allegedly headed by suspected ISI operative Kafaitullah Khan.
Kafaitullah was the first person to be arrested from New Delhi on November 26, while he was heading to Bhopal to attend a religious congregation and allegedly recruit more spies. This was followed by the arrest of serving BSF personnel Abdul Rasheed, former army hawaldar Munawwar Ahmad Mir and a government school teacher, Sabar, who was taken into custody on Saturday from Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Farid Khan aka Surgeon
“Farid used the code-name “Surgeon” and he came under the police scanner after they obtained a CD, which recorded conversations, from the possession of Khan.
“Farid, booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act, was produced before a court and shall be brought to Delhi by tomorrow on a transit remand,” said a Crime Branch official.
Farid had met Sabar during his posting in Rajouri and was later introduced to other members of the alleged network, he said.
A 14-member team of the Crime Branch of police has reached Delhi with Mir and Sabar, who are to be produced before a city court on Monday.
The team is investigating if some other army personnel were also involved in the case, the official said. Sabar was arrested on Saturday amid high drama as he tried to dodge the police team.
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