India court convicts diplomat for spying for Pakistani security agencies

Madhuri Gupta, an Indian diplomat who had been posted at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was convicted by an Indian court on Friday for spying for Pakistani security agencies and passing on sensitive and official information regarding India to them, CNN-News 18 reported.

According to some emails sent by the diplomat, accessed by CNN-News18, Gupta had fallen in love with a security agent and had been in contact with him.

Delhi Additional Sessions Court Judge Siddharth Sharma held Gupta guilty and convicted her under section 3(1)(c) part 1 (punishable up to a period of 3 years imprisonment) and section 5 of the Officials Secrets Act read with 120 B of the Indian Penal Code.

The arguments on the quantum of sentence will be heard today.

Back in 2010, when “spy” Madhuri came under the scanner in Islamabad for espionage, she was called back to Delhi where she had admitted to having committed the crime. The Delhi Police Special Cell had registered an FIR against her and arrested her on April 22, 2010. After eight years, the Delhi court convicted her.

While posted in Islamabad, Gupta had come in touch with Pakistani security agents through a journalist working for a local newspaper in Pakistan.

Gupta had passed on sensitive information regarding various postings of Indian officers in different ministries.

The other documents passed also included strategic plans by the India government on issues such as India’s engagement in Afghanistan.

The documents were sometimes transferred via personal meetings, but mostly by email from Gupta’s computer and a Blackberry phone.