Ex-Army man gets rigorous imprisonment in Pakistan-operated espionage case

A former Indian Army personnel from Uttar Pradesh's Hapur district has been convicted and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment by an NIA special court here in a Pakistan-operated espionage case. As per investigations, Saurabh Sharma, formerly a signalman in the Indian Army, was lured into the spying racket by a pseudonymous entity operated by Defence/ISI agents of Pakistan, said an official statement issued by the NIA on Wednesday.

He had shared restricted and confidential secret information about the Indian Army with this pseudo entity, 'Neha Sharma', the statement said.

The leaked information included sensitive details pertaining to Indian military installations, it said.



"Sharma had received funds from multiple sources, including Pakistani sources, and also from the charge sheeted co-accused, Anas Yakub Giteli, in exchange of the secret, sensitive information," the NIA said.

Sharma has been given varying sentences, with a maximum jail term of five years, along with fines under different sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Official Secrets Act, it said, adding that "all sentences will run concurrently".


Sharma was arrested, along with Giteli, a resident of Gujarat, on January 8, 2021.

NIA had taken over from Uttar Pradesh ATS and re-registered the case on February 5, 2021.