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A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Visakhapatnam has sentenced two more accused in the 2019 Indian Navy espionage case, bringing the total number of convictions to four.
Mohammad Haroon Haji Abdul Rehman Lakdawala, a resident of Mumbai, has been sentenced to five and a half years of simple imprisonment under Sections 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Imran Yakub Giteli from Godhra has been sentenced to six years of simple imprisonment for the same offences.
Both convicts have been fined Rs 5,000 each, and will undergo an additional year of simple imprisonment if they fail to pay the fine, the NIA said in a statement.
The case concerns alleged espionage activities carried out at key Indian Navy establishments by agents linked to foreign intelligence networks. According to the NIA, Lakdawala and Giteli acted as operatives for Pakistani intelligence agencies and were found to have compromised national security through their involvement in spying operations.
Investigators reported that both men had relatives in Pakistan and came into contact with intelligence operatives during visits to the country. They allegedly ran illegal cross-border businesses in clothing and other goods, funnelling the proceeds to fund espionage activities in India. The duo is also accused of having transferred money to accounts of Navy personnel on the directions of Pakistani handlers, using online payment channels and PoS systems from Mumbai and Godhra.
The NIA took over the probe from the Counter Intelligence Police Station, Intelligence Department, Andhra Pradesh Police, in December 2019. Over the course of the investigation, the agency arrested 15 accused, including 11 serving Navy personnel.
A chargesheet was filed against 14 individuals in June 2020, followed by a supplementary chargesheet in March 2021. The NIA said further investigation and trial in the case are ongoing.