ANS: A freelance journalist, Rajeev Sharma, was arrested Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the charges of supplying confidential and sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers in exchange for remuneration.
Sharma was arrested on Thursday (1st of July) and produced before a local court in Delhi on Friday. The court sent him in the custody of ED for seven days, sources said.
Earlier in September 2019, Sharma was arrested by Delhi police for allegedly spying for China, sharing vital information about India’s border strategy and Army deployment in exchange for remuneration, thereby compromising the security and national interests of India.
Later ED had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Sharma on the basis on the Delhi police FIR in the espionage matter.
The ED said in a statement that it initiated an investigation on the basis of the FIR and charge sheet filed by Delhi Police against Rajeev Sharma.
“During the investigation, it was found that Rajeev Sharma had supplied confidential and sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers in exchange for remuneration, thereby compromising the security and national interests of India,” ED said in a statement.
It was further revealed that cash for remuneration was being generated through Hawala means by Mahipalpur-based shell companies that were run by Chinese nationals Zhang Cheng alias Suraj, Zhang Lixia alias Usha and Quing Shi along with a Nepalese national Sher Singh alias Raj Bohara.
Apart from cash, huge transactions were made with various Chinese companies and some other trading companies in India which are being examined, it said.