ISI suspect arrested from U’khand

lucknow — A suspected agent of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan — was nabbed from north Indian state of Uttarakhand, officials said on Thursday.

The anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has arrested Ramesh Singh Kanyal from his home at Didihat town in Pithoragarh district of Uttakhand on Wednesday. He worked as a cook at an Indian diplomat’s residence in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, from 2015-2017, officials said.

Kanyal has confessed to his role in anti-national activities, an official of the UP ATS said.

He has been taken to UP capital Lucknow for interrogation, Pithoragarh superintendent of police Ramchandra Rajguru said.

Kanyal is accused of passing on confidential information to Pakistan’s International Services Intelligence for money while he was in Islamabad, the SP said.

A Pakistani ‘Q-mobile’ phone was recovered during the search carried out at his home on Wednesday, an ATS official disclosed.

The phone was given to him by the ISI for contacting them, the ATS official said, adding that data extraction of the instrument could provide vital clues.

It is suspected that the phone, which is being sent for forensic examination, could have a spyware, he said.

Kanyal had come into contact with the ISI in Islamabad and was recruited as an agent of Pakistan’s intelligence agency.

Kanyal, the official said, would leak secret information for which he was paid in dollars.

During his visits to India on holidays, he would convert the dollars into Indian rupees in New Delhi and take the money to his village, he said.

When Ramesh returned to India, he was asked by Pakistani ISI officials to spy for them and was also given the phone.