The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two folks, including freelance defence journalist Vivek Raghuvanshi, for allegedly amassing delicate data associated to the defence tasks of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and the longer term procurement of Indian armed forces, and sharing them with intelligence companies of international nations.
CBI on Tuesday performed searches in 12 places in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Jaipur in reference to the case.
A supply mentioned initially the Delhi Police had lodged an FIR towards Raghuvanshi, and the investigation was later transferred to CBI, who filed a recent case towards him and his associates. “After conducting raids and collecting evidence against him, Raghuvanshi was arrested on Tuesday night. His associate was also arrested,” added the supply.
“On May 9, CBI lodged an FIR against Vivek Raghuvanshi on the allegations that he was involved in the illegal collection of sensitive information including the minute details of the DRDO defence projects and their progress, sensitive details about the future procurement of Indian armed forces which reveal the strategic preparedness of country’s classified communications/information relating to national security, details of the strategic and diplomatic talks of India with our friendly countries. After collecting them, he was sharing such classified information with the intelligence agencies of foreign countries,” a CBI spokesperson had mentioned Tuesday.
“During the investigation, certain documents containing sensitive information were recovered from the possession of the accused. Today, the CBI has conducted searches at 12 locations at the premises of the accused and others in an ongoing investigation of a case registered under Section 3 of the Official Secret Act and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code,” the spokesperson had mentioned.
An official mentioned the knowledge, if introduced out, may have spoilt India’s bilateral relations with these nations.
Sources mentioned the company has launched an exhaustive probe to seek out out Raghuvanshi’s accomplices in India and overseas.
Raghuvanshi writes for Defense News—an American defence information web site, which additionally covers politics, enterprise, and expertise. Defense News mentions Raghuvanshi’s title in its editorial contact record as its India correspondent for defence information. on Linkedin, Raghuvanshi says he’s the India Bureau Chief at Defense News with a reporting expertise of 32 and half years. He joined Twitter in 2015, however there was no exercise on his account since 2018.
In September 2019, the Delhi Police had arrested freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma for alleged espionage on the behest of China. In 2021, he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged cash laundering.