IAS officer Ravi Inder Singh, arrested on Tuesday night for alleged corporate espionage, was handling almost 5,000 security-related cases in telecom, mining, shipping and surface transport and investigations were underway to determine the recipients of the information, official sources said, adding that they were also checking whether some Chinese companies had benefited from Mr Singh’s activities.
Though home ministry officials denied any “sex angle” in the case, Delhi police sources claimed Mr Singh had been leaking information in lieu of sexual favours from foreign girls and money. Police sources claimed the telephone excerpts of conversations between Mr Singh and the arrested businessman show how the IAS officer was ready to divulge information in return for sex and money. The source said Mr Singh and Mr Vineet Kumar used code words like “Ukrainian software” for Ukrainian girls, “hardware” for rooms, “ladoos” for money and “prasad” for information that might help companies get telecom licences.
It is learnt that Mr Singh had allegedly been divulging internal information related to companies’ applications for security clearance related to mobile number portability which had been pending with the ministry. Though he was not in a position to give security clearances, the sources said that Mr Singh could have facilitated such clearance by “manipulating file notings” and “giving favourable inputs” to higher officials.
Secretary (internal security) in the MHA, Mr U.K. Bansal, said the incident is “very serious” and a “matter of grave concern”. Mr Bansal said Mr Singh was “misusing” his official position for commercial interests.
Mr Singh is likely to be suspended soon. “Depending on the charges framed against him by the police, certain disciplinary action will soon be taken, including sending him back to his cadre or even dismissal,” an official said. Government sources said Mr Singh’s case has no connection with the recent meetings between the MHA and the makers of Blackberry.