The police
arrested a 35-year-old man on Friday in Odisha, accusing him of passing
military secrets to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.
Police said Ishwar Chandra
Behera was passing on information about missile activities conducted at a
unit of India's Defence Research & Development Organisation, where
he worked as a cameraman.
"He was
providing vital information related to missile tests and other military
activities to an ISI agent for the past 8-10 months," Odisha's inspector
general of police A.K Panigrahi told Reuters. "He confessed that he had
met an (ISI) agent in Kolkata a number of times."
India accuses elements in Pakistan's army and ISI of shielding or working with militant groups, which Islambabad denies.
Tensions
between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, which are also at odds over
the disputed region of Kashmir, have risen since Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi called off peace talks in August. Troops on both sides
have exchanged fire across the border in recent months.
Police
said they found a substantial amount of money had been transferred to
Behera's bank account from several places including Abu Dhabi and
Mumbai. They are investigating if he was assisted by anyone else.
"We
had information that his activities are suspicious and he should be
watched ... He confessed he is in touch with the ISI agent and is
passing on very vital information," Panigrahi said.
Reuters could not contact Behera, who is in custody.
India
has stepped up security, especially in the capital New Delhi, in
preparation for a three-day visit by U.S. President Barack Obama,
starting on Sunday.
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