Kafaitullah Khan was the first person to be arrested from New Delhi on November 26, while he was heading to Bhopal to attend a religious congregation and allegedly recruit more spies.
A serving army personnel was today arrested by Delhi Police from Siliguri in West Bengal in connection with the alleged ISI-linked espionage racket, taking to five the number of people taken into custody in the case.
The accused, identified as Farid Khan, is an army hawaldar who allegedly shared secret information with suspected intelligence operatives.
"He was arrested from Siliguri today by the eight-member Crime Branch team which was rushed there," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said.
This is the fifth arrest in connection with the espionage racket allegedly headed by suspected ISI operative Kafaitullah Khan.
Kafaitullah Khan was the first person to be arrested from New Delhi on November 26, while he was heading to Bhopal to attend a religious congregation and allegedly recruit more spies, followed by the arrest of serving Border Security Force personnel Abdul Rasheed, former army hawaldar Munawwar Ahmad Mir and a government school teacher, Sabar, who was taken into custody yesterday from his rented accommodation at Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Farid used the code-name "Surgeon" and he came under the police scanner after they obtained a CD -- which recorded conversations -- from the possession of Khan. Farid, booked under provisions of the Official Secrets Act, was produced before a court and shall be brought to Delhi by tomorrow on a transit remand," said a Crime Branch official.
Farid had met Sabar during his posting in Rajouri and was later introduced other members of the alleged network, he said.
He had been detained by the army and later handed over to the Crime Branch team, following which he was arrested, he said.
Police have not found any document from Farid's possession but there is sufficient evidence, including disclosures, needed for his arrest, the official said.
Meanwhile, a 14-member team of the Crime Branch of police, which was rushed to Rajouri, has reached Delhi with Mir and Sabar, who are to be produced before a city court tomorrow.
The team is investigating if some other army personnel were also involved in the case, the official said.
Sabar was arrested yesterday amid high drama as he tried to dodge the police team which reached the village accompanied by police in Rajouri. Some people there tried to resist the police action.