An employee of the Indian embassy in Moscow has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), revealed the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). Identified as Satendra Siwal, a resident of Hapur, he stands accused of sharing secret documents related to the weapon systems of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, including details about warplanes and submarines.
According to Rajeev Tyagi, an ATS inspector in Meerut, Siwal was ensnared in a honey trap orchestrated by a woman who befriended him on social media. The woman, using the pseudonym Pooja Mehra, allegedly enticed Siwal to share classified information in exchange for money.
Siwal, currently in ATS remand until February 16, admitted to his involvement in the espionage activities during interrogation. The ATS has initiated forensic examinations on Siwal’s electronic devices to retrieve the shared documents.
Further investigations by the ATS revealed that Siwal was collaborating with ISI handlers to engage in anti-India activities. Authorities also uncovered evidence suggesting that the woman operating the social media account was linked to the Pakistan intelligence agency.
The arrest of Siwal, who served as an India-based security assistant at the Indian embassy in Moscow since 2021, was made on February 4 in Lucknow. He faces charges under Section 121A of the Indian Penal Code (waging war against the country) and the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
