The Uttar Pradesh Government has alerted the Union Home and Defence Ministries about the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI establishing its network in western UP.
In a letter written to the Ministry, a copy of which is with The Hindu , State Principal Secretary (Home) Devashish Panda expressed concern about certain youths of the region being "in touch" with the Pakistani agency.
The issue grabbed headlines after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, in the aftermath of the Muzaffarnagar riots, had expressed concern at the ISI's conspiracy to indoctrinate the youth of the sensitive region.
Apprehending that such cases of espionage were "gradually increasing" the State Principal Secretary (Home) wrote the letter asking for the Union Home Ministry's permission to act against these instances of espionage under the Provisions of the Official Secrets Act 1923.
Interestingly the letter talks about Muslim youths being "in touch" with the ISI but has just one instance of Asif, a resident of Meerut who was arrested on June 16, 2014, to substantiate its claim.
Mr. Panda also highlighted that besides the alleged ISI agent Asif, former Indian Army officers Madan Mohan Pal and Patan Kumar Poddar were also working for the ISI. The letter declares Asif as being the "main handler" who used to give money to the Army officers to get information from them. The letter claims that Sunil Kumar, a resident of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, was also assisting Asif.
The letter claims that Asif was in touch with an ISI officer named Zahid who had allegedly given him a Pakistani debit card with which Asif used to withdraw money in India but the letter doesn't explain in detail how could a Pakistani debit card be used to withdraw money from banks in India.
"The Special Task Force (STF) and Army Intelligence is getting information from various sources that few Muslim youths of western UP are in touch with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. They are supplying sensitive documents, maps of Army locations to the ISI," Mr. Panda said in the letter.
The government has asked the STF to find out the sleeper modules and ISI agents functioning in the region.
The Inspector General of Police Meerut zone Alok Sharma said that the police and intelligence agencies were being "extra cautious" in view of the Republic Day and were maintaining a "strict vigil" on these sleeper cells and modules.
