Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 1: In a sensational revelation, BSF official and Pakistan spy Abdul Rashid is reported to have admitted that he leaked Order of Battle Plan (ORBAT), information pertaining to Indian Air Force (IAF) and deployment of the BSF in Mendhar, Rajouri and Poonch districts, mainly the Line of Control (LoC).
Rashid is reported to have confessed his involvement in leaking the ‘Battle Plan’ among other documents to his relative and a Government official Kafait Ullah Khan, who, in turn, provided these documents to Pakistan through various modes of communication.
Official sources told the Excelsior that BSF Head Constable Abdul Rashid, who was posted in Intelligence wing of BSF in Rajouri and presently was in custody of the Crime Branch of Delhi Police, has admitted leaking ORBAT (Order of Battle Plan) to Kafait Ullah. Kafait, had then leaked the ORBAT to Pakistan.
ORBAT contains the plan of troop movement along the frontiers in case of war between the two countries, the complete war plan, which troops will move first and will provide reinforcement and their total strength. It is exchanged between Army and BSF whenever it is drawn afresh. Rashid during his posting in the Intelligence wing had somehow managed to click the ORBAT in his mobile telephone and forwarded it to Kafait, who was directly dealing with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIO).
Apart from ORBAT, Rashid is understood to have provided vital information pertaining to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to Pakistan including their locations in different parts of the State. He had leaked the information pertaining to number of fighter jets in Srinagar, their location and origin and exact location and strength of some Army units, sources said describing the leaked information as very strategic and directly connected with country’s security.
The BSF official also leaked information about the deployment of Mendhar, Rajouri and Poonch areas and their movement along with Army along the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Sources said, the Delhi Police has also recovered a classified document from Rashid and Kafait Ullah Khan, which had been provided to them by two other serving officials, one of whom belongs to the Indian Army. Both of them were likely to be arrested very soon. Rashid and Khan, both hailing from Rajouri district, had managed to spread their network in some more units.
Sources said Khan has disclosed more names during interrogation but Delhi Police wants to be sure that he was speaking truth and was trying to get the evidence against them before revealing their identity and apprehending them.
Sharif and Khan have been charged under the Official Secrets Act which indicates the cops have prima facie evidence that the documents recovered from them are genuine. The documents have been sent for forensic examination, sources said.
The two are being questioned at the heavily guarded office of the Crime Branch at Chanakyapuri and efforts are on to identify their Pakistan based associates.
Rashid told his interrogators that he was selected for BSF in 1990 and posted in Gujarat and West Bengal before being moved to J&K in 1998.
“He has said he was ‘cultivated’ by Kafait Ullah to gather sensitive information for money.
Khan was on pay-roll of Pakistan getting regular income of Rs 20,000 per month apart from other funds through different payment channels from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.
They had used Viber network, WhatsApp and email for providing information and forwarded documents through Face Time and Skype. Khan and Rashid used to meet at crowded and public places to avoid any doubt.
PTI adds from New Delhi: BSF today said it is probing the case of a “black sheep” within its ranks who was allegedly involved in a suspected espionage racket linked to Pakistani spy agency ISI and trying to ascertain what information the accused might have leaked.
Border Security Force (BSF) chief Devendra Kumar Pathak said that the arrested accused was a “low-level functionary” of the force and, hence, it was unlikely that he would have been in possession of classified information about the forces’ operation in border areas.
“It (BSF) is a large force and out of it, unfortunately, one person has turned out to be a black sheep. We have our measures (in place to check such incidents) and we will further strengthen the measures,” he said on the sidelines of the 50th Raising Day event here of the paramilitary force.
He said that police interrogation of Head Constable Abdul Rashid, posted in the intelligence wing in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, was on and it would be “premature” to comment on his motives and any possible associates within the force.
“After the interrogation, we will know what was his (Rashid’s) level of involvement and what he leaked.
“He is a low-level functionary, a Head Constable. Hence it is not possible that he may have possessed classified information unless there is someone else’s connivance,” he said.
Pathak said that BSF has ordered for a Court of Inquiry to bring out all the facts of the alleged illegal activities by the accused, who was himself working in the sensitive and secret snoop unit of the force called the ‘G wing’.
Intercept
It was the following intercept cracked by Delhi Police between Kafait Ullah Khan and his Pakistani handlers, which ended their nefarious game plan and leading to the arrests.
Coded message:
Pakistan Handler: Dawai Pahoonchi Nahin Hai…X-ray Report Nahin Aai Bhai Jaan…
Reply by Khan: Dr Surgeon Nay Diya Nahin Hai, Jab Dega Aapkay Paas Pahunch Jayega, Aur Illaj Ho Jayega.
Decoded by Agencies:
Dawai: Secret Information
X-Ray Report: Leaked Papers
Bhai Jaan: Pakistan Intelligence Operative
Dr: Army personnel
Surgeon: BSF and Army personnel including Rashid.
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