Pathankot espionage: Five arrested, booked under Official Secrets Act for sharing Army movement to Pakistan
Officials said the charges include provisions under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), a law aimed at preventing espionage, protecting classified information and securing strategically important government establishments.
PTC News Desk: In a significant development, all five accused arrested for involvment in installing a spy camera to capture movement of the Army and paramilitary convoys on the strategic Jammu-Pathankot national highway have been booked under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and Section 113 of the BNS. The terrorist act under the said provisions carries death penalty.
Besides mastermind Baljit Singh, other four accused include Ankit Sharma, owner of the shop where the spy camera was put up, Hardeep Singh, Baljinder Singh and Tarunpreet Singh.
Hardeep Singh, the brother of Baljit Singh, allegedly played a key role in destroying a mobile phone linked to the investigation. According to police sources, Baljit had handed the phone to Hardeep for safekeeping before installing the device at the premises of Ankit Sharma.
Investigators claim that after learning about Baljit’s arrest, Hardeep destroyed the phone in an attempt to eliminate evidence. Police believe the device contained highly sensitive information, including contact details of international smugglers allegedly connected to Pakistan’s ISI.
A case has been registered against the accused at Sujanpur Police Station. Officials said the charges include provisions under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), a law aimed at preventing espionage, protecting classified information and securing strategically important government establishments.
During interrogation, Baljit allegedly admitted that he had been operating under directions received through an unidentified individual based in Dubai, whom investigators suspect to be an ISI operative.