SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency Special Court in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday awarded over five years of simple imprisonment to two more accused in the Pakistan-linked espionage case involving surveillance of Indian Navy installations, taking the total convictions in the case to eight.
In a statement issued, it was written that the accused, identified as Ashok Kumar of Jhunjhunu district and Vikas Kumar of Alwar district of Rajasthan, will have to undergo SI of 5 years and 11 months under each of sections 18 of UA(P) Act and section 3 of the Official Secrets Act. They also face an additional SI of one year in the event of default of payment of a Rs 5,000 fine, imposed by the NIA Special Court at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
With this, NIA has successfully secured the conviction of eight of the 15 accused arrested in the case till date. Ashok and Vikas were arrested in December 2019 from Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Karwar (Karnataka) respectively. NIA had, in June 2020, chargesheeted 14 accused persons, and subsequently filed a supplementary chargesheet against one more accused person in March 2021.
A total of 15 accused persons had been arrested, of whom eight have so far been convicted and sentenced in the case. Trial against other accused in the case RC 05/2019/NIA/HYD is still in progress.
NIA had taken over the case, relating to spying at vital installations and Indian Navy establishments by foreign spies and agents, from the Counter-Intelligence Police Station, Intelligence Department, Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh Police) in December 2019.
NIA is continuing with its investigation to unveil the complete conspiracy behind the espionage, which was aimed at disturbing India’s unity, integrity, security and sovereignty. (KNC)
