New Delhi, Nov 25 A National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court sentenced two more convicts in the Pakistan-linked Visakhapatnam Navy espionage case to over five years of imprisonment, along with fine, an official said on Tuesday.
Ashok Kumar of Jhunjhunu district and Vikas Kumar of Alwar district of Rajasthan, will have to undergo simple imprisonment of 5 years and 11 months under each of section 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and section 3 of Official Secrets Act.
They also face an additional simple imprisonment of one year in the event of default of payment of Rs 5,000 fine, imposed by the NIA Special Court at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), said the official in a statement.
With this, the NIA has successfully secured the conviction of eight of the 15 accused arrested in the case till date.
Ashok and Vikas were arrested in December 2019 from Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Karwar (Karnataka) respectively. The NIA had, in June 2020, chargesheeted 14 accused persons, and subsequently filed a supplementary chargesheet against one more accused person in March 2021.
A total of 15 accused had been arrested, of whom eight have so far been convicted and sentenced, in the case. Trial against other accused in is still in progress.
The NIA took over the case, relating to spying at vital installations and Indian Navy establishments by foreign spies/agents, from the Counter Intelligence Police Station, Intelligence Department, Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh Police) in December 2019.
The federal probe agency is continuing with its investigation to unveil the complete conspiracy behind the espionage, which was aimed at disturbing India’s unity, integrity, security and sovereignty, said the statement.
Earlier on November 7, the NIA Special Court at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) sentenced two other accused in a related case.
Kalavalapalli Konda Babu of Visakhapatnam District (Andhra Pradesh) and Aviansh Somal of Kangra District (Himachal Pradesh) were sentenced to 5 years and 10 months of simple imprisonment under each of sections 18 of UA(P) Act and section 3 of the Official Secrets Act.
The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each, and in the event of default of payment, the accused persons will have to undergo an additional one-year simple imprisonment in the case, said an NIA statement.
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