14 contacts of woman spy under scanner
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Ms Gupta, 53, a second secretary at the Indian high commission in Islamabad, who was arrested here a few days ago for passing information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and possibly the intelligence services of other foreign countries, frequently used to talk to them for long periods. An official who was reportedly responsible for her “rising career graph” in the external affairs ministry is also under the scanner, the sources said.
“Some Indian officials posted at the high commission in Islamabad are also under the scanner of the intelligence agencies. There are reports that Ms Gupta disclosed India’s agenda to Pakistan before the foreign secretary-level talks in February. Agencies are trying to verify this,” a source said.
Ms Gupta had at least four contacts in Pakistan, who were introduced to her by her Pakistani handler, identified as Rana. She is said to have met some of them at a supermarket and a restaurant in Islamabad. It is suspected she was involved in a romantic relationship with Rana.
Indian agencies have traced two international SIM cards believed to be used by reporters of a leading media organisation in Pakistan. Sources said the two journalists had introduced Ms Gupta to some of her other Pakistani contacts.
“Her call details are being analysed to understand the pattern of her meetings with ISI agents in Islamabad,” an intelligence official said.
Also in the crosshairs of the Indian agencies is a couple living in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, who were in touch with Ms Gupta in Islamabad through email and phone. An Indian Army officer and a Research and Analysis Wing official are also under the scanner of the security agencies.
The Army officer used to visit the Rajouri couple while he was posted in the region. He is related to the couple, but his frequent visits there have aroused the agencies’ suspicion. The Rajouri-based woman had gone to Pakistan several times. The role of the RAW official is also being investigated as Ms Gupta might have been getting information from him, but it is still not clear if he had any idea about Ms Gupta’s real designs.
Two mobile phones, a computer and some documents were seized from Ms Gupta after the external affairs ministry asked her to return to New Delhi on the pretext of discussions for the Saarc summit.
The hard disk of her computer is expected to be sent to Hyderabad for forensic examination, sources said, adding that they were gathering details of Ms Gupta’s bank accounts for a scrutiny of her financial transactions.
Ms Gupta, who is being interrogated by Indian security agencies at an undisclosed location, has shown no remorse for her actions. It was learnt she was hoping for a plum diplomatic posting in either London or Washington later this year.
She told her interrogators that she agreed to spy for Pakistan as she was not satisfied with her service conditions, and is said to have nursed a grudge against certain Indian Foreign Service officials.
Ms Gupta belonged to Grade B of the IFS, and was not a career diplomat. She was promoted to the rank of second secretary in the press and information wing of the Indian high commission in Islamabad.
Reports from Islamabad described Ms Gupta as brash and fearless, especially when she regaled friends with tales of driving to India via the Islamabad-Lahore motorway, often at breakneck speed. “I did the Lahore motorway in three-and-a-half hours,” she would tell friends, most of whom admired her guts for driving to and fro alone, according to agency reports. Incidentally, most Indian diplomats travel in groups or with their families on such drives to the Indian border.
Former Indian Police Service officer B. Raman, who has served in RAW, said if reports that Ms Gupta was actually recruited not by the ISI but by Pakistan’s Intelligence Bureau were true, this would indicate the latter is once again playing an active role in intelligence-collection relating to India and India’s role in Afghanistan.
The Union home ministry is understood to have taken a stern view of the Delhi police special cell leaking details about Ms Gupta’s interrogation to media. A ministry source said “strict action will be taken against officials of the special cell if they are found leaking details to the media”.
Age Correspondents
with agency inputs
