New Delhi, Oct 24: India on Tuesday declared Mohd Farooq,
a driver with the Pakistan High Commission here, as a persona
non grata and asked him to leave the country, four days after
he was caught allegedly receiving sensitive documents from an
Army man here.
The PHC was informed by the External Affairs Ministry
that Farooq has been found indulging in activities
"incompatible" with his status and should be withdrawn,
official sources told a news agency.
Farooq has been asked to leave the country within a
week, they said.
The Government's decision comes four days after Farooq
was caught by police in a South-West Delhi area allegedly
receiving "sensitive" documents from Armyman Anil Kumar.
After legal formalities, Farooq was handed over to the
Pakistan High Commission soon after while Kumar, a havaldar
posted in Army's Group Insurance Scheme, was arrested.
Farooq was expelled after the External Affairs Ministry
received a report from Delhi Police which concluded that he
had been engaged in espionage activities.
Investigations by Delhi Police's special cell have found
that Farooq had been in touch with Kumar for at least three
months, sources said.
His activities prior to that are being probed.
Significantly, the expulsion came less than a month ahead
of the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks.
Earlier in August, Pakistan expelled India's visa
counsellor in Islamabad Deepak Kaul, claiming that he was
engaged in espionage.
Kaul had been handcuffed and roughed up by Pakistani
security personnel during his five-hour detention at an
unknown place, triggering anger in India.
India also expelled Pakistan's Counsellor (Political)
Riaz Ahmed.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, October 24, 2006, 00:00