The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed a charge sheet against two accused persons, including a suspected Pakistani national, in an espionage case relating to the Indian Navy here.
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The two charge-sheeted have been identified as arrested accused Akash Solanki and absconding Pakistani operative Meer Balaj Khan. Along with other Pakistan Intelligence agents, they were involved in the espionage racket in which sensitive information pertaining to the Indian Navy was allegedly being leaked as part of an anti-India conspiracy.
Akash Solanki (21) is resident of Firozabad district in Uttar Pradesh. Both were charge-sheeted on Wednesday under relevant Sections of IPC and UA (P) Act in the NIA Special Court, Vijayawada. Further investigations are continuing.
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The case had been registered initially at PS Counter Intelligence Cell, Vijayawada, and was subsequently re-registered by NIA on June 5.
Akash Solanki, who was working as an Electrical Artificer Radio Apprentice (EAC) at the Naval Dockyard, Vishakhapatnam, was reportedly passing on classified information relating to the Indian Navy warships and submarines. He was sharing the information with a suspected Pakistani intelligence operative, operating under the assumed identity of ‘Aditi Chouhan’, as well as other unidentified individuals.
NIA investigations had further revealed that Akash Solanki had been receiving monetary compensation from another suspected Pakistani operative Meer Balaj Khan through crypto channels in exchange for the information. Meer Balaj Khan’s credentials obtained from Binance (leading Crypto-currency Exchange) disclosed a Pakistan ID card during investigations.