ISLAMABAD: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police implicated Pakistan’s expelled diplomat in a baseless espionage case when on Saturday it confirmed filing documents related to spy racket in which a diplomat Mahmood Akhtar was nabbed three months ago and immediately extradited to Pakistan along with three others from India.

Diplomatic observers are apprehensive that Indian police action could become prelude for some more actions to worsen the ties with Pakistan further. Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit then "strongly protested with Indian foreign secretary at the detention and manhandling of Pakistan High Commission staff." The high commissioner also reminded that the detention contravened the 1961 Vienna Convention.

It was a preemptive act by India as it sensed that authorities in Pakistan had got hold of a ring involving its six diplomats in subversive activities to destabilise Pakistan. Five diplomats at the Indian High Commission were found to be part of a spy network and involved in activities to destabilise Pakistan by facilitating and funding terrorism.

The agent of Indian spy agency RAW Rajesh Kumar Agnihotri was stationed at the Indian High Commission in Pakistan in the garb of commercial counsellor. He was reportedly running a network of individuals involved in subversive activities in Pakistan. Another officer of Indian secret agency IB Balbir Singh was stationed in Pakistan as first secretary press information.

He was believed to be involved in destabilising the country through a network of IB officials. Amarjeet Singh Bhatti, who was working as a visa attaché, Vijay Kumar and Mundhawan Nanda Kumar, who were all stationed at the Indian High Commission, were also RAW agents.

These five diplomats were declared as persona non grata (PNG) and expelled from Pakistan.

According to sources, Indian diplomatic official Surjeet Singh, who was expelled earlier by Pakistan, was also part of Balbir Singh’s network. Surjeet Singh possessed a fake card of a mobile phone company under the name ‘Abdul Hafeez’, sources said. Prior to that a number of Indian spies had been spotted and arrested in Pakistan during the course of the country’s enmity with its neighbour.

Earlier last year, Kulbhushan Yadav, a serving Indian navy officer, was arrested from Balochistan while spying for RAW. All Indian diplomats were expelled from Pakistan after furnishing evidence of their involvement. Indian media recalled that four persons were arrested including the personal secretary to Rajya Sabha (upper house of Indian parliament) member (MP) Munnawar Salim. The MP is a witness in the case. According to the charge-sheet of Indian police, the documents seized included training in the Sir Creek sector, marine battalion at Ormara up-to 290 kilometres assessing Pakistan deployment in Sir Creek sector, Creek areas in international sea up to 3,300 square kilometres, maps with confidential legends, a diagrammatic fire plan, standing committee reports of defence and a lay down attachment of army`s surface to air missile programme. What is most significant in the report prepared by a director of Indian Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) is confirmation of the deployment of Pakistan Navy and Marines in Sir Creek area of international border with Pakistan. The charge-sheet further states that, documents related to the army and the BSF pertain to the western border and the Sir Creek areas. This includes logistic model and fire plan of army.

While the report from BSF is awaited, the Indian Air Force has confirmed that the “documents were secret and confidential in nature. Documents seized from personal secretary of SP leader are not classified in nature. However, he was part of conspiracy to leak documents for long. Since the Pakistan’s diplomat enjoyed diplomatic immunity, he could not be charge-sheeted but his confessional statement throws light on how the racket operated”. Interestingly, the statement was recorded through coercive methods. What is most alarming for India is the fact that he has ‘confessed’ that the ISI have moles in the para and the army. All four officials of the Pakistan High Commission have returned home after being declared PNG.