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BHUBANESWAR: Indian police arrested a 35-year-old man on Friday in the eastern state of Odisha, accusing him of passing military secrets to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Police said Ishwar Chandra Behera was passing on information about missile activities conducted at a unit of India's Defence Research & Development Organisation, where he worked as a cameraman.
“He was providing vital information related to missile tests and other military activities to an ISI agent for the past 8-10 months,” Odisha's inspector general of police A.K Panigrahi told Reuters. “He confessed that he had met an (ISI) agent in Kolkata a number of times.”
India accuses elements in Pakistan's security apparatus of shielding or working with militant groups, which Islambabad denies.
Tensions between India and Pakistan, which are also at odds over the disputed region of Kashmir, have risen since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called off peace talks in August.
Troops on both sides have exchanged fire across the border in recent months.
Police said they found a substantial amount of money had been transferred to Behera's bank account from several places including Abu Dhabi and Mumbai.
They are investigating if he was assisted from elsewhere.
“We had information that his activities are suspicious and he should be watched ... He confessed he is in touch with the ISI agent and is passing on very vital information,” Panigrahi said.
Reuters could not contact Behera, who is in custody. The Reuters report moreover had no comments from the Pakistan foreign office whose spokeswoman Dawn is trying to contact.
India has stepped up security, especially in the capital New Delhi, in preparation for a three-day visit by US President Barack Obama, starting on Sunday.
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On DawnNews
Comments (70) Closed
Jan 24, 2015 10:49am
Good way to make more money though, but got caught for espionage.
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Jan 24, 2015 10:55am
All is fair in Love and War. Even RAW has its own way of collecting data.
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Jan 24, 2015 11:18am
he may be doing some thing else....there are reports of IB that 4 groups are entered in Maharastra, Rajasthan, UP, Orisa....to do some unlawful activities before 28 Jan...
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Jan 24, 2015 11:25am
I wonder if Indians will speak off 'blame game' now.
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Jan 24, 2015 11:29am
Must be punished quickly
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Jan 24, 2015 11:33am
It is an Indian citizen who has been caught providing information to ISI and not its agent spying directly in that country. As the name, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), suggests it was doing its job in gathering intelligence and not involved in any terrorist activities. Almost all developed and democratic countries, including USA, UK and Germany, have intelligence agencies which spy on each other but not involved in terror activities. The discovery of such incidence has had no impact on their relationship. Since the above ISI activity is limited to intelligence gathering not to terror, it should have no impact on India -Pakistan relationship.
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Jan 24, 2015 11:43am
Good job ISI...
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Jan 24, 2015 11:43am
@Rajendra Tiwari Eminently sensible comment.
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Jan 24, 2015 11:43am
@Rajendra Tiwari problem is not that they are spying as state agencies. It creates problem when they pass these information to non-state actors like JuD or LeT
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Jan 24, 2015 11:43am
............Troops on both sides have exchanged fire across the border in recent months"
The Reuter news agency should update its employees / correspondents on Kashmir issue as the qout in the preceding lines, the reporter has mentioned ......as borders.... instead of Line of Control.
The arrest of an Indian for his being an alleged ISI spy, is not new thing. The arrest was made some 4 to 5 months back, (reported in the Indian media), but its disclosure on the eve of Obama visit is indicative of some thing >>>>>> .
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Jan 24, 2015 11:47am
Question why this news came before the visit of US president?
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Jan 24, 2015 12:11pm
@ali Don't go fishing for conspiracies where they don't exist. This has got nothing to do with the President's visit.
Every country spies on other countries. India got hold of the mole. Published the news. The agencies will not wait for a time when you or me or anyone else feels there is a conspiracy theory free atmosphere to catch this guy.
Not the first and will not be the last. And i am pretty sure India has its own assets in other countries.
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Jan 24, 2015 12:18pm
Pakistan will never be able to get precise intelligence because they are only engaging poor people and low level officers who have no great value....they will give some intelligence but not enough to compromise the country's security...no high value target can ever be engaged by ISI because it doesn't have that capability
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Jan 24, 2015 12:19pm
Be it ISI or RAW, we all know its their job. Nothing strange about it, all the spy agencies in the world perform the same job.
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Jan 24, 2015 12:23pm
@Bharat932
OR like RSS.
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Jan 24, 2015 12:25pm
Before the arrival of President Obama, the Indians were expected to come up with such a stunt. There may be more tricks in their pits.
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Jan 24, 2015 12:40pm
Nothing is wrong with that. All foreign intelligence agencies have to do their work. So, it's fair enough!
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Jan 24, 2015 12:41pm
@Bajoy best intelligence comes from low level moles who are least suspected. What is the point of going for e.g. Director level person whom you cannot even meet as all the cameras are pointed at him.
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Jan 24, 2015 12:52pm
Well done ISI if that is true.
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Jan 24, 2015 12:53pm
Being from state of Odisha, I used to think we produced people like Bose. Since we are bit different from main stream India, I had never expected an Odia man , that to a Hindu, who swears by its soil, would do so .Need to keep our house in order and need to check the people and communities who are involved in such acts.
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Jan 24, 2015 01:00pm
@Radiohead
or VHP.
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Jan 24, 2015 01:30pm
They are doing a good cause. from when helping and serving nation became a crime, why they arrest him? all he is helping our country.
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Jan 24, 2015 01:44pm
@Bajoy. Good keep thinking like that. We want you to.
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Jan 24, 2015 02:06pm
botched plan to destabilize our fight on terror...
Indian agenda seriously jeopardized ever since we took hard stance in filtering out the terrorists and their financial supporters in India.
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Jan 24, 2015 02:11pm
my comments made earlier which have yet not cleared were against the general trend probably that was the reason it was not allowed you should give free opinion of all possible angles of view instead of forcing to give a particular view
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Jan 24, 2015 02:17pm
It is tip of the iceberg. ISI has penetrated deep in Indian intelligentsia.
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Jan 24, 2015 02:21pm
There is nothing new about it, it is a practice in existence since ancient times.
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Jan 24, 2015 02:54pm
What's the big deal, even Indian intelligence has stupid spies like these in Pakistan, they are called PML-N
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Jan 24, 2015 03:14pm
I am glad that Pakistan will not have any issue that someone will steal their military technology ...Pakistan have zero technical knowledge base .
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Jan 24, 2015 03:33pm
@anil - Good thing he turned out to be a Hindu. Reactions would have been dreadful it it were a Muslim.
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Jan 24, 2015 03:44pm
Nothing new here! This is the failure Indian intelligence agencies. ISI is always waiting to undertake covert ops in India. It's the indians that have to be alert.
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Jan 24, 2015 04:18pm
This is nothing more than nonsense. Indians are expert in such stunts.
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Jan 24, 2015 04:18pm
lSl is everywhere in India, there's nothing new about it
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Jan 24, 2015 04:23pm
@Bajoy Its art of equitation, whenever they plan to accuse, but after that nothing come up and only they want to damage the credibility, see last many accusations, Samjotha Express and many more.
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Jan 24, 2015 04:30pm
the fact of the matter is that the isi is not competent enough so they get caught. be it this case or mumbai attack or osama bin laden. but pakisthan upto now dont have any proof of indian involvement. that speaks of efficiency
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Jan 24, 2015 04:32pm
That is the job of intelligence gathering agencies. Relations are already tense between the two countries. People on both sides of the border should demonstrate maturity. After Edward Snowden's revelations on the extent of scooping, what the countries could do. They maintained their position of supporting each other.
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Jan 24, 2015 04:55pm
For the outside world the indo-pak confict is rather odd. Both countries should agree, that they can not agree on the Kashmir issue and move on. Trade between the two countries to elevate millions out of poverty, save a lot of money wasted on defence spending and bring together two nations, who are culturary closer than they know.
The future starts right here, you just have to make the first step.
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Jan 24, 2015 05:12pm
Yes . .Please double your font and it should be flashing, try to add ID cards of both parties aswell
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Jan 24, 2015 05:27pm
@FeudalKingdom how do you know "he doing something else" They have solid evidence
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Jan 24, 2015 05:38pm
@Jason
Please do not think RAW is asleep.
They are silent masters of disinformation,deep penetration,
covert warfare and false flag operations.
A previous head of a well known western intelligence agency
has said he knows no spooks anywhere in the world (including
Russia and China) who are more nuanced and "invisible" in their
foreign operations.
Ask Pakistani military generals what happened to them in
in December 1971.
The Indian success was largely as a result of RAW operating
deep inside East Pakistan for YEARS and YEARS.
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Jan 24, 2015 05:46pm
Let's try to sort out our own terrorist problem before trying to break somebody else's house
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Jan 24, 2015 05:48pm
Second part of this article is irrelevant and does not belong here. It appears that the news paper is either trying to fill up the pages or confuse its readers.
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Jan 24, 2015 06:36pm
Spy agencies of all countries do this on each other some incompetent gets caught
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Jan 24, 2015 06:36pm
@Rajendra Tiwari
what relationship
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Jan 24, 2015 06:50pm
People of Pakistan have watched your will Mr Dar. We all know how willing PML-N is in making commission. Its been 20 months since you are making this statement and you will never ever make commission. Because you are the man who exactly know what you people did in election.
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Jan 24, 2015 06:53pm
India's problem, not ours.
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Jan 24, 2015 07:50pm
this is a normal job. both countries doing this for decades. not new.
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Jan 24, 2015 07:53pm
Why bring terrorists into the equation. This is fine old spycraft which is practiced by all nations.
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Jan 24, 2015 09:15pm
Another failed attempt and a botched story from the RSS/Modi government.
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Jan 24, 2015 10:22pm
We all know that indian police can torture any innocent civilian to confess against anything he/she has never done.
Shame shame India.
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Jan 24, 2015 10:24pm
@Bajoy Yes. Keep thinking like that :-)
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Jan 24, 2015 11:37pm
every country spies on the other. So, what is the news here?
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Jan 25, 2015 01:10am
Poor fellow feeling the burnt of Pakistan fobia, soon the court will indict him on circumstantial evidence (circumstances limited to his presence in DRDO).
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Jan 25, 2015 02:05am
@A Ahmed He was caught! how is it a good job?
Isnt that one thing that a spy should avoid?
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Jan 25, 2015 02:11am
@Bajoy intelligence gathering is never single dimensional. What this means is that the information gathered from was being used to corroborate someone else's information. So rest assured there are others.
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Jan 25, 2015 05:59am
@ali this news is not big enough to be discussed in India -US premiers meeting. More over we don't cry in front of US. India might discuss terrorism with Pakistan.
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Jan 25, 2015 06:24am
@FeudalKingdom : why do you think there would be blame game dear from Indians ? It's a known fact. We were alert and caught him.
Are you aware, our current NSA Dobhal has worked as a spy in Pakistan for many years under changed name and religion. It's part of the game brother , both countries test each others' water. There are hundreds of Indian spies around you,. We are not in denial, Pakistan is in denial. Indians are announcing it loud even by making Spy movies like "Baby". But your authorities ban the movie for you in Pakistan, preventing you yo know the truth :). Who is in Denial !
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Jan 25, 2015 06:48am
@Akram: Akram! Ishwar C. Behera was serving Pakistan, NOT India, which arrested him! Behera will be charged with treason against India. Pakistan can have him, but I don't think your nation will take this traitor, because he is just as likely to sell out Pakistan for MONEY!
Behera can put his camera away now, and his family will live in disgrace.Behera will not be able to travel internationally after he is released from prison.
Spying is illegal, even though most countries do it. That ISI has been accused is notable.
Let's await court results-- not that I trust courts!
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Jan 25, 2015 10:25am
Its a shallow tactics of India before president Obama lands in the land of Hindu extremism.
Whenever there is a high profile US visit India stages such dramas.
Otherwise , intellegemce collecting is done by all countries in almost all the countries which are important in their eyes.
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Jan 25, 2015 10:56am
@saadiq ; either RAW is very efficient or does not exist in Pakistan. That's why you can't catch them....later is the truth. India doesn't have political will to manage such activities...
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Jan 25, 2015 01:08pm
@zak the supreme
Yes, there is India-Pakistan relationship. It exist at political (embassy and consulates), economic (exchange of goods directly or via other countries) and cultural (movies, music and visits to place of worship/interest) levels. The above relationship may not be up to expectation (not enough transactions) or may be bad (leaders are not talking about Kashmir issue). No country can exist without relationship with other countries!
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Jan 25, 2015 01:16pm
it is wonderful game which are playing between spying agencies of two countries India and pakistan . It it responsiblity of Indian authority to give punishment guilty person that is more dangerous for our country.
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Jan 26, 2015 08:57am
@A Ahmed ; The Result of this game you are getting heavily !
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Jan 26, 2015 09:00am
@tarik ; that is why the result is well done everyday in Pakistan. Did you get it ?
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Jan 26, 2015 01:01pm
moles are in every society. Being a Hindu alone doesnt guarantee patriotism. For many decades had been reading news of spies being nabbed for spying for Pakistan and surprisingly all of them were Hindus. I am sure there are Muslims in Pak who did the same as well. The Palestinians are also held spying for Israel, but here the action is different. They hang the guy on the nearest pole.
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Jan 26, 2015 01:21pm
Another cooked up story to show to Obama?. But tactfully this time less tenseful as this gives non-Muslim name.
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Jan 26, 2015 01:51pm
@A Ahmed
"Good job ISI" you say Ahmed? They recruited an idiot who got caught...hahahaha
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Jan 26, 2015 11:08pm
Its time to work together not against each other
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Jan 27, 2015 12:24am
@A Ahmed Not a good job dear, someone might be doing this for others.There are some back-stabbers everywhere.
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Jan 27, 2015 12:25am
@Fi Yes ! this may be other way round.
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