A Pakistan High Commissioner staff identified as Mehmood Akhtar was detained by Delhi Police Crime Branch before being released on the grounds of diplomatic immunity on Thursday morning.
Akhtar, reportedly a personal staffer of High Commissioner Abdul Basit was briefly questioned at Delhi Police’s Crime Branch office in the Chanakyapuri area of the city where many foreign embassies are located.
Mehmood Akhtar (35) identified himself as Mehmood Rajput on being apprehended, Delhi police said in a press conference later on Thursday.
Delhi Police Joint CP Crime, Ravindra Yadav said that Akhtar had a fake ADHAAR card and met with spies on the ground at Delhi zoo.
Just before the press conference held by Delhi police, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told Pakistan High Commssioner Abdul Basit that Akhtar has been declared persona non grata and had to leave the country within 48 hours.
TV reports suggested that police found sensitive information related to Indian defense installations in Akhtar’s possession at the time of detention.
Two Indian nationals, alleged ISI agents who were also arrested in New Delhi on Thursday following an Intelligence Bureau tipoff by Delhi police were in touch with Akhtar.
“The spies are residents of Rajasthan working for Pakistan’s ISI. The spies were in touch with the staff here at Pakistan High Commission and were providing sensitive information,” a senior police officer told PTI.
Those arrested have been identified as Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir, the PTI report said.
TV reports cited sources claiming that Akhtar was under surveillance by Indian agencies over a month.
Hindustan Times report said that Akhtar has been working in the Pakistan High Commission in India for three years.
Police suspect that an insider was involved in leaking information to Pakistan spies.
Tensions between the neighbouring countries has worsened since the Uri attacks on September 18 in which 18 Indian army personnel were killed. Subsequently, India carried out a ‘surgical strike’ across the Line of Control on September 29. Since, then there have been repeated ceasefire violations in the border.
Media reports said some diplomats in the Pakistani High Commission was under the scanner of the Indian establishment since last year when five Indians including one non-commissioned Indian Air Force personnel were arrested for aiding Pakistan's ISI.