NIA Files Charge-Sheet Against An ISI Operative in Visakhapatnam Espionage Case

NIA filed the first supplementary charge-sheet against an accused namely Imran Yakub Giteli@Giteli Imran r/o Godhra, Panchmahal, Gujarat u/s 120 B and 201 of IPC and sec 17 and 18 of the UA(P)A before the NIA Special Court, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh for his involvement in raising funds for espionage activities in Bharat.

The case was initially registered u/s 120B & 121A of IPC, Section 17 & 18 of The UA (P) Act, 1967 and Section 3 of The Official Secrets Act, 1923 at Counter Intelligence PS, Intelligence Department, Vijayawada pertaining to the conspiracy hatched by Pakistani ISI agents along with their associates based in Bharat to carry out terrorist acts in Bharat. In furtherance of their conspiracy, they were involved in espionage activities by collecting sensitive and classified official information relating to vital defence installations in order to threaten the integrity, security and sovereignty of Bharat. NIA had re-registered the case on 29.12. 2019 and taken over the investigation. NIA had earlier filed charge sheet against 14 accused persons including three civilians with business interests in Pakistan on 15.06.2020 in this case.

Further, the investigation has established that accused Yakub Imran Giteli@ Giteli Imran was in contact with Pakistani agents and used to meet them during his visits to Pakistan. On the instructions of Pakistani ISI agents, he was transferring money into the accounts of Navy personnel in lieu of passing sensitive and strategic information. He was raising funds for terrorist activities in the garb of illegal cloth business. The investigation has revealed an organized wide network of Pakistan based espionage activities in Bharat utilizing services of operatives like Imran Yakub Giteli.