NIA court convicts Sri Lankan national Arun Selvarajan for spying for Pakistan and plotting attacks against India

An NIA Special Court in Chennai has pronounced judgement in Thameem Ansari espionage case convicting Sri Lankan national Arun Selvarajan for all the charges. The accused has been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs 20,000.

The sensational case was originally registered on September 17, 2012 at Q Branch Police Station, Trichy, Tamil Nadu and police arrested Thameem Ansari, a native of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu for conducting espionage at the behest of  Pakistan Intelligence officers led by accused Amir Zubair Siddique posted at the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo, as part of the conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts in India.

NIA had re-registered the case and taken over the investigation from state police. Later, accused Arun Selvarajan was arrested in this case for engaging in similar espionage activities, at the behest of  Pakistan Intelligence officers. The ensuing investigation had established that the accused persons Thameem Ansari and Arun Selvarajan pursuant to the conspiracy hatched with Pakistan intelligence officers had conducted espionage at various defence establishments and sensitive locations in Tamil Nadu besides transmitted such classified information to Amir Zubair Siddique thereby threatening the sovereignty and security of India.   

Charges were framed against Thameem Ansari and Arun Selvarajan and trial had commenced then after. Accused Arun Selvarajn has now been convicted for all the charges against him. However, trial against Thameem Ansari continues. 

An investigation is continuing against the absconding accused Mohammed Anver Mohammed Siraj Ali native of Sri Lanka besides the Pakistan intelligence officer Amir Zubair Siddique and others.