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LUCKNOW: An employee of Indian embassy in Moscow, arrested in Lucknow on Jan 28, was allegedly honeytrapped and enticed with a sum of Rs 25 lakh to collaborate in a complex web of espionage and international intrigue orchestrated by Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence, investigators said on Tuesday.UP police’s ATS, which took custody of 27-year-old Satyendra Siwal, stationed as security assistant in Moscow since 2021, claimed that he confessed to divulging information about Indian military installations and matters related to nation’s foreign offices.”During his tenure in Moscow, he came into contact with a woman who claimed to be from Canada and developed a relationship with her, despite being married and having children.” The woman, purportedly acting on behalf of ISI, lured Siwal into divulging classified data. “Siwal was offered money in exchange for information through her contacts,” an ATS officer said.According to ATS officers, Siwal failed to provide an explanation for the source of money found in his Indian bank account in the Russian city. ATS has requested Moscow to authenticate details of his bank accounts there.ATS scrutinised Siwal’s accounts and financial transactions since 2021, uncovering multiple payments from unidentified source. Siwal was nabbed while he was in Lucknow for his cousin’s wedding. A native of Hapur in UP, he now faces charges under section 121A (conspiracy against the state) and Official Secrets Act, 1923.ATS ADG Mohit Agarwal confirmed that all electronic devices belonging to Siwal have been confiscated and forwarded for a forensic audit to retrieve any erased or tampered data. According to ATS sources, ISI operatives have been attempting to entice ministry of external affairs (MEA) employees with financial incentives in exchange for sensitive information.
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