Pathankot ‘espionage’ case: Moga youth arrested for ‘links’ to ‘ISI agent’

The Punjab Police arrested a Moga resident for alleged links to Irshad, the alleged ISI agent who was recently arrested for passing on photographs of strategic army installations in Pathankot to his alleged handler Sajjad Hussain.

Sandeep Malhi (27) alias Sunny, a resident of Talwandi Mallian village in Moga district, has been booked under the Official Secrets Act, Pathankot CIA incharge Inspector Harkrishan Singh said.

Pathankot SSP R K Bakshi said Sunny’s cropped up during the interrogation of Irshad, who told police that he and Sajjad used to stay at Sunny’s place. The Moga resident was produced before a court here on Thursday and was sent to police remand till February 14, Inspector Harkrishan said. “Sunny lived on rent in Chandigarh and dealt in the stock market. Irshad and Sajjad stayed at his place. We are now interrogating Sunny,” the Inspector added.

After his arrest, Irshad, a resident of Hari village at Surankote in Jammu, was booked under the Official Secrets Act on February 2. The same evening, the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested his alleged handler, Sajjad Hussain, and another person, Mohammad Akram, both residents of Hari village on suspicions of espionage.

Irshad, who was arrested from Mamoon cantonment where he worked as a labourer, was alleged to have “passed on photographs of installations like army areas, bridges, railway station, bus stands and other vulnerable areas” to Sajjad, through a smart phone.

Police have said that they have not established any link between the arrests made on espionage grounds and the January 2 terrorist attack at the Pathankot Air Force Station. A senior NIA official on Thursday also maintained that no link between the two could be established as of now.

Meanwhile, a team of Pathankot police have left for Surankote to bring Sajjad to Pathankot on production warrant for his interrogation by Punjab police, an official told. Sajjad would be brought to Pathankot on Friday.

Police have also arrested Deepak, a resident of Moga, for selling a SIM card to Irshad allegedly on forged documents. He was interrogated by the police and later sent to judicial custody by a local court. Irshad was on Thursday produced before a court in Pathankot and his police remand was extended till February 14.
Sources in Moga police said Sunny was friends with the two youth from J&K. Police also said that his call details showed their connection in Pakistan.

Police said that Sunny’s family did not know what their son did for a living in Mohali and Chandigarh. His father Ajaib Singh is an ex-servicemen. “His family has told us that their son was studying in Chandigarh. They were unaware of his friends and even the college where he claimed he was studying. He passed Class X from the village school and then discontinued his studies. For the past 2-3 years, he has been living in Chandigarh and Mohali. He visited his family in the village 2 to 3 times last year. His call details show that several calls were done and received from Pakistan,” a police source said.