The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested freelance defence journalist Vivek Raghuvanshi and former Navy commander Ashish Pathak in an alleged espionage case.
On Tuesday, the agency had searched about a dozen locations linked to the journalist, who has been accused of gaining illegal access to national security related information, which was shared with foreign intelligence agencies.
Mr. Raghuvanshi was also working with an international defence news website as its India correspondent.
“The searches were carried out in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Jaipur,” a CBI official had said, adding that the case was registered on December 9, 2022.
Mr. Raghuvanshi has been accused of being involved in the illegal collection of sensitive information on minute details of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) defence projects and their progress.
Sensitive details about the future procurement of the Indian armed forces, revealing the country’s strategic preparedness, classified communications related to national security, and details of the strategic and diplomatic talks of India with its friendly countries were also accessed by the accused and shared with the foreign intelligence agencies.
