This Article is From Feb 12, 2021

Photographer Gets Life Term For Spying For Pakistan In Odisha

Judge Girija Prasad Mohapatra held Iswar Chandra Behera, a photographer engaged at DRDO laboratory at ITR on a contractual basis, guilty of conspiracy and sharing vital information with Pakistan's ISI agency among various foreign intelligence agencies.

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India News

A photographer was to life imprisonment for spying. (Representational)

Balasore (Odisha):

An Odisha court on Thursday sentenced a photographer to lifetime imprisonment for spying at the Integrated Test Range in Odisha's Balasore district.

Judge Girija Prasad Mohapatra held Iswar Chandra Behera, a photographer engaged at DRDO laboratory at ITR on a contractual basis, guilty of conspiracy and sharing vital information with Pakistan's ISI agency among various foreign intelligence agencies.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict.

As per the prosecution, Behera was tracked and arrested by intelligence agencies for leaking vital information and a police case was registered against him, which was later transferred to the crime branch.

He was convicted under sections 121 A (sedition) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, and 3, 4 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, a government counsel said.

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The police confirmed that money was credited into Behera's bank account from various countries, he said.

Behera, who hails from Kantipur village in Mayurbhanj district, was employed as a photographer at the ITR on a contractual basis since 2007 at a monthly remuneration of Rs 8,000. He was working in the CCTV section of the ITR's control tower.

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The prosecution said that Behera was spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for 8-10 months prior to his arrest.

He was in constant touch with his handler over the phone and had met him at least 10 times during his trips to Kolkata, a police official had said.

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