Bhubaneswar: In a startling revelation, Odisha Crime Branch Tuesday claimed that it has traced exchange of money between the arrested five accused in DRDO Chandipur espionage case and their handlers in Uttar Pradesh and Pakistan.
The Crime Branch also revealed that UP-based handlers were the custodians of the money sent by their contacts in Pakistan.
During the investigation, Crime Branch officials also came to know about the involvement of some Bangladeshi agents who are suspected to be acting on behalf of some sleeper cells in Bangladesh. Some Bangladeshi immigrants are under Crime Branch scanner over this issue.
Besides, the Crime Branch is learnt to be working to trace out the conduit of these Bangladeshi sleeper cells. It has already sought a detailed report of money trail from the banks, it was learnt.
Meanwhile, a three-member team of Indian Air Force is also helping the Crime Branch in the investigation. The team has already carried out a marathon interrogation of the five accused at the Crime Branch headquarters in Cuttack. The accused were learnt to have been interrogated separately.
The defence officials were trying to get the details out from them as to what type of information they had leaked to ISI in Pakistan.
According to sources, the main focus of the defence officials is to get information about the handlers and the involvement of top DRDO officials, if any.
Meanwhile, it is obvious after the Crime Branch’s revelation that the state investigating agency will seek help of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the probe.
PNN