New Delhi, June 15
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against another key individual in the Visakhapatnam espionage case involving leakage of classified defence information through a Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spying network.
Amaan Salim Shaikh, a resident of Mumbai, Maharashtra, has been formally charged in the NIA Special Court, Visakhapatnam, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P) Act].
The NIA stated that Shaikh is a key accused in the case, involving a conspiracy by Pakistani agents to honey trap Indian Navy personnel to extract sensitive information regarding India's defense establishments. Shaikh is alleged to have played a significant role in this conspiracy, working under the direction of a suspected Pakistani agent named Usman.
Shaikh was also receiving funds from other suspected Pakistani operatives, including Meer Balaj Khan and Alven, as well as from several other individuals, through cryptocurrency channels. These funds were reportedly used to carry out tasks assigned by the Pakistani intelligence operatives, officials said.
The NIA took over the investigation from the Counter Intelligence Cell, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, on June 5, 2023 and chargesheeted two other individuals in connection with this case.
