Freelance Scribe Rajeev Sharma Was Passing Sensitive Info To Chinese Intelligence Since 2016, Says Delhi Police

Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a Chinese woman and her Nepalese associate for paying freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma for the sensitive information passed on to the Chinese intelligence, police said on Saturday.

Image: ANI

New Delhi: Freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma has been arrested by the Delhi Police special cell on being found guilty of violating the Official Secrets Act . As per the cops, Sharma was involved in passing sensitive defence and strategic information to Chinese intelligence officers from 2016 to 2018. Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, DCP of Special Cell Delhi Police said that Sharma was passed on sensitive defence & strategic information to Chinese intelligence officers from 2016 to 2018. He used to meet them at several locations in different countries. "He was found to be in possession of some defence-related classified documents," Yadav said after his arrest. Rajeev Sharma has almost 40 yrs of experience as a journalist. In additional to his experience as a journalist in several news firms in India, he has written articles for Chinese media agency Global Times as a freelance journalist, cops said. Sharma, an experienced journalist who worked for various newspapers and news agencies, was arrested on Monday and was produced the next day before a Delhi court, which sent him to six-day police custody. A Chinese woman and  her Nepalese associate were also arrested for paying him large amounts of money routed through shell companies, Delhi Police said. After his arrest, the Delhi Police seized his laptop, his mobile phone and are scanning his call detail records to know with whom he was in contact. Sources said that Delhi Police got secret information about his involvement in procurement of classified documents and hence he was arrested by the Special Cell under the Official Secrets Act. After he was arrested, Sharma’s Twitter account displayed a message that his account showed suspicious activity and hence has been restricted