Navy espionage: NIA files charge sheet against a Godhra-based cloth merchant

The National Investigation Agency has filed a charge sheet against a Godhra-based textile dealer in connection with the Indian Navy's espionage case. According to the central agency, he extracted sensitive information from Navy personnel in 2019. The NIA has booked Imran under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities Act (UAPA).

Karwar (Karnataka): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet at the NIA Special Court in Vijayawada against a Godhra-based textile dealer for allegedly leaking vital information pertaining to the Indian Navy.

The charge sheet was filed against Imran Yakub Geeteli alias Geeteli Imran, a resident at Panchmahal in Godhra, Gujarat. According to the central agency, he extracted sensitive information from Navy personnel in 2019. The NIA has booked Imran under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities Act (UAPA).

The agency believes the Gujarat-based merchant, a frequently travelled to Pakistan for cloth trade, has had close relations with ISI agents. NIA has also held him responsible for transferring kickbacks into the bank accounts of navy personnel who had leaked the sensitive and strategic naval information, following instructions from ISI agents.

Allegedly, he also raised money for terror activities under the guise of a cloth trading business. He was arrested in September last year. A case first registered against him on November 16, 2019, in the Crime Investigation (CI) Cell Division of Andhra Pradesh Police.

The NIA took over the case on December 29, 2019, as the espionage case was linked to the Mumbai, Karwar and Visakhapatnam Navy bases. The agency has also filed charge sheets against 14 people, including navy sailors and civilians.

It is learnt that the movements of seven Indian Navy sailors' were monitored and they had been detained for several days in 2019 following a Dolphin Nose operation carried out by the Counter Intelligence Division based in Vijayawada, the Department of Navy Intelligence and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Seven sailors, three civilians and others have been arrested in the case so far. The sailors were introduced to self-proclaimed entrepreneurs by Pakistan based handlers after they were honey trapped using women's social media accounts.

It has been revealed that information included strategic locations and major submarines, names of high-ranking officers and other sensitive matters. Also, the amount was transferred with the help of Havala operators.