Chinese spy racket: Journo Rajeev Sharma sent to 7-day police custody

A Delhi court on Monday remanded Journalist Rajeev Sharma, Chinese woman Qing Shi and Nepalese citizen Sher Singh to seven-day police custody in connection with a Chinese espionage racket case.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Singh Rajawat sent the three to police custody after they were produced before the court at the end of their previous remand period.

On September 14, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police had arrested 61-year-old Indian freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma, allegedly found working for Chinese intelligence.

During a search of Sharma's house in Pitampura, one laptop, some confidential documents related to Indian Defence and some other incriminating papers were reportedly seized.

Rajeev Sharma has also moved a bail plea in the court, which will come up for hearing on Tuesday. The application, moved by advocate Amish Aggarwala on Sharma's behalf, put forth that he is being framed in a false case and has not committed any offence.

During his police remand, a Chinese woman Qing Shi and her Nepalese partner Sher Singh alias Raj Bohra were also arrested. They were found supplying the arrested scribe with huge amounts of money routed through hawala channels for conveying sensitive information to Chinese Intelligence, DCP Special Cell Sanjeev Yadav had said.

A few days back, an input was received from an intelligence agency that Rajeev Sharma, a resident of St. Xavier Apartment, Pitampura, New Delhi, had links with a foreign intelligence officer and has been receiving funds from his handler through illegal means and Western Union money transfer for conveying sensitive information about national security and foreign relations.

A case under section 3 (possession of any sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information, which relates to munitions of war communicates), 4 (Communications with foreign agents) and 5 (Wrongful communication) of the Official Secrets Act was registered on September 13. Thereafter, Rajeev Sharma was arrested on September 14 and a warrant was obtained for searching his residential premises by the Delhi Police.

"On interrogation, Rajeev Sharma disclosed his involvement in the procurement of secret and sensitive information and conveying the same to his Chinese handlers Michael and George, based in Kunming, China, through different digital channels. He further disclosed that he was about to send these recovered secret documents to his handlers," Sanjeev Yadav said.

Police said that in the past also, Sharma had sent several documents in the form of reports to his handlers and got a handsome amount of money from them.