In a sensational development that has shocked the Indian External Affairs Ministry, the senior female diplomat was arrested for spying for the Pakistani government from within the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, where she was posted for over two years as a second secretary in the Press and Information Section.
Inquiry: Following her arrest, the Indian government has ordered an inquiry in New Delhi and Islamabad against all staff posted in the High Commission over the past three years to trace any possible spy ring operating from within Pakistan.
Their bank accounts are being checked to ascertain any unusual transactions, sources said.
A highly placed official said the arrested official had a technical status as a diplomat, but she was not from the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) cadre, criticising the media for calling her the first-ever Indian diplomat arrested for spying, as if she was from the IFS.
New Delhi police confirmed the arrest to Daily Times on Tuesday, saying the arrest of Madhuri Gupta, 53, on Sunday was made under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on charges of passing ‘strategic secrets’ to Pakistan.
The police secured her remand for four days from a city court on Monday and she would be produced before the court on Thursday for further extension of her remand, police sources said.
She has been booked under sections 1A and 2A of the OSA that carry a maximum punishment of 10 years.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash also confirmed Madhuri’s arrest on charges of passing information to Pakistani intelligence agencies.
He refused to say anything further, except that the matter was under investigation and the arrested official “is cooperating with our inquiry”.
Source: Daily Times & agencies