CBI arrests Canada-based Rahul Gangal in defence espionage case

New Delhi [India], August 22 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Canada-based NRI Rahul Gangal in the ongoing case related to defence espionage from Delhi on Tuesday. According to the CBI official, the agency has been tracking Rahul Gangal’s movements for several months.
The accused arrived in India last week from Canada, where he obtained permanent resident status.
After his arrival, his movements were tracked, and his place of stay in Delhi was located. Searches were conducted at the premises of the accused, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents and digital devices. A scrutiny of these documents and devices allegedly revealed the possession and sharing of incriminating secret documents by him with another accused (a journalist), an official said. 
The arrested accused was produced today before the competent court in Delhi and he was remanded to four days of police custody. 
An earlier investigation had revealed that the said accused had allegedly transmitted sensitive defence documents to another accused. (A journalist was earlier arrested in this case on May 17, 2023). 
The CBI  registered the said case on December 9, 2022, against an accused on the allegations that the accused was involved in the illegal collection of sensitive information, including minute details of the DRDO defence projects and their progress, sensitive details about the future procurement of Indian armed forces, which reveal the strategic preparedness of the country’s classified communications/ information relating to national security, details of the strategic and diplomatic talks of India with friendly countries, and sharing such classified information with intelligence agencies of foreign countries, they added. 
Searches were earlier conducted at 15 locations in NCR and Jaipur, which led to the recovery of 48 electronic devices, including laptops, tablets, mobile phones, hard discs, pen drives, etc., belonging to the named accused in the FIR and others associated with the said accused, during searches. Besides, a number of incriminating documents relating to Indian defence establishments have also been seized, they said. 
The data stored in cloud based accounts / emails / social media accounts belonging to the accused / others has also been recovered by digital forensic experts at the CBI. It was also alleged that the accused and his associate (an ex-Navy Commander presently working with a private firm) were in possession of classified secret documents related to Indian defence establishments. Both accused were arrested in May 2023, an official said. 
A Complaint or final report was also filed on July 12, 2023, against said Journalist and his Associate (an ex-Navy Commander). Both are in Judicial Custody, they said.