ATS, IB, STF grill man for links with Pak intelligence operatives

Bhubaneswar, July 9: The Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), Maharashtra, Intelligence Bureau, and the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police on Sunday grilled Abhijeet Sanjay Jambure, arrested for his alleged involvement in sharing of OTP with Pakistani intelligence operatives, an officer said.
The Odisha STF had arrested Abhijeet from Pune on June 29 and brought him to Bhubaneswar on transit remand after getting evidence against him on his links with Pakistani intelligence operatives, the officer said.
Abhijeet, a graduate in Statistics from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University, Gujarat, was working in a private software company in Pune. “Senior officers of the ATS, IB and STF grilled Abhijeet on Sunday to confirm his link with Pakistani intelligence operatives. Abhijit was in link with a Pakistani agent since 2020 and he was sending money to another arrested accused including Pathanisamanta Lenka of Odisha. ATS is likely to take the accused on transit remand. We will seek NIA help if needed,” STF SP K K Panigrahi told PTI.
Panigrahi said six persons were arrested in this connection and more arrests could be made. The STF has taken Abhijeet on a four-day remand from Saturday. The grilling of Abhijeet is significant as he is suspected to have links with Pakistani intelligence officials, he said.
The STF official said that Abhijeet met one Danish alias Syed Danish Ali Naqvi of Khanki, Faislabad, Pakistan through Facebook Messenger, who identified himself as Freelancer at ‘Chegg’ in 2018. Danish in fact introduced Abhijeet to his friend Khurram alias Abdul Hamid of Karachi. Khurram is suspected to be a senior Pakistan Army intelligence officer having a big network of agents in India.
The officer said that Abhijeet used to transfer money to various Pakistani intelligence operatives working in India based on the instruction of Khurram. Abhijeet also talked to at least seven Pakistan citizens and 10 Nigerian Citizens through WhatsApp, the official said.
Meanwhile, the STF has arrested five other Odisha residents in connection with the OTP sharing scam. It is also suspected that Abhijeet has shared some secret documents relating to the Indian Army, Navy and other defence materials with Pakistan’s ISI. (PTI)