From Pakistan, with love: Indian embassy staff arrested in Moscow on suspicion of being ISI agent

Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorist Squad has arrested an employee of the Indian Embassy in Moscow on suspicion that he was spying for the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, according to a statement from the authorities on Sunday.

The Embassy employee, Satendra Siwal, is being accused of providing Pakistan with confidential information regarding the strategic activities of India's Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of External Affairs, and military establishments.

Siwal is working as the IBSA (India-based Security Assistant) in the Indian Embassy in Moscow, Russia, since 2021.


A resident of Shahmahiuddinpur village in the Hapur district, Siwal was arrested by the the ATS based on intelligence reports that the Pakistani spy agency was luring Indians employed by the MEA.

Reportedly, the ISI's end goal was to obtain strategically important information related to the Indian Army that is likely to pose a huge threat to the internal and external security of India.

The UP ATS' probe of electronic and physical surveillance found that Siwal was involved in anti-India activities with a network of ISI handlers and was providing confidential information regarding strategic activities for money, the statement adds.

According to the ATS, Siwal was called to the agency's field unit in Meerut and was interrogated, leading to his confession to the police.

The ATS has registered an FIR against Siwal at the ATS police station, Lucknow, under Section 121A of the IPC (waging war against the country) and the Official Secrets Act 1923.