CBI arrests freelance journalist, former Navy commander in case of alleged spying

CBI has arrested a freelance journalist and a former Navy commander for allegedly collecting sensitive information related to defence matters illegally

New Delhi: CBI has arrested a freelance journalist and a former Navy commander for allegedly collecting sensitive information related to defence matters illegally and passing them on to foreign intelligence agencies, officials said on Wednesday.

Following an FIR against Vivek Raghuvanshi, CBI on Tuesday conducted searches on premises linked to the freelance journalist, listed as India correspondent of a US-based portal on defence and strategic affairs on its website, and people close to him at 12 places in Jaipur and National Capital Region (NCR), they said.

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The agency has booked Raghuvanshi and former Navy commander Ashish Pathak under Section 3 (spying) of the Official Secrets Act and with Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Several sensitive documents were recovered during the searches and sent for legal scrutiny, officials added.