Freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma (photo 1, left); Qing Shi and Sher Singh, a national of Nepal. (Credits: ANI)
A Chinese woman identified as Qing Shi, and her Nepalese partner Sher Singh alias Raj Bhora, had been paying Sharma a considerable amount for confidential information.
- CNN-News18 New Delhi
- Last update: September 19, 2020 7:37 PM IST
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Delhi police said on Saturday that the arrested freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma was passing confidential information about India’s border strategy and the army’s deployment to Chinese intelligence. At a press conference, special cell DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said that Sharma was writing on defense-related issues for some Indian media organizations, as well as China’s Global Times.
Sharma had been arrested along with a Chinese citizen and a Nepalese citizen under the strict Secret Officers Act (OSA), by the Delhi Police Special Cell.
A Chinese woman identified as Qing Shi, and her Nepalese partner Sher Singh alias Raj Bhora, had been paying Sharma a considerable amount for confidential information. The Delhi police had received secret information that Sharma provided confidential documents to Chinese intelligence. During the search of his home a laptop, some confidential documents related to the Indian Defense Department, among other incriminating documents, were recovered and seized.
The money was being supplied to Sharma through a “hawala” channel. Police said the defendant had ties to a “foreign intelligence officer” and had been receiving funds through Western Union Money transfers and other illegal means in exchange for sensitive information about the country’s national security and foreign relations.
Sharma revealed during interrogation his involvement in obtaining confidential information and relayed it to Chinese handlers named Michael and George through various digital channels. The two manipulators are based in the city of Kunming in China, he said.
He said that he had been about to send the confidential documents recovered by the police, also to his handlers. He had previously sent several documents in the form of reports in exchange for good remuneration, police said.
According to the Police, Sharma wrote a weekly column for the Global Times from 2010 to 2014, widely known as a “spokesman for the Chinese government.”
These columns caught Michael’s attention and he contacted Sharma via LinkedIn and invited him to Kunming for an interview at a Chinese media company, Yadav said. The entire trip was financed by Michael.
“During the meeting, Michael and his junior Xou asked Rajeev Sharma to provide input on various aspects of India-China relations. Sharma was in contact with Michael and Xou from 2016 to 2018, “Yadav said.
Sharma was tasked with providing information on issues such as India’s deployment to the Bhutan-Sikkim-China triple junction, including Doklam; the pattern of India-Myanmar military cooperation and the issue of the India-China border. Subsequently, Sharma held meetings with Michael and Xou in Laos and the Maldives and also provided information. She was also in contact with her handlers through email and social media.
Sharma contacted George in January 2019. Later, he visited Kunming via Kathmandu and met George, who met Sharma as the CEO of a Chinese media company.
“During the meeting, George asked Sharma to write to him and inform him about issues related to the Dalai Lama. They offered him $ 500 per article / piece of information, “Yadav said.
George told Sharma they would send money to him through the sister company of his company based in Mahipal Pur, Delhi, which was being operated by a Chinese woman named Qing. Sharma received more than Rs 30 lakh from George in about 10 installments between January 2019 and September 2020 for your information. She also held meetings with George in Malaysia and again in Kunming.
Yadav said it was revealed during the investigation that shell companies were being operated by foreign intelligence to transfer funds to Sharma. Chinese nationals Jhang Chang and his wife Chang-li-lia ran the companies MZ Pharmacy and MZ Malls, under the assumed names Suraj and Usha, he said. He added that they were both currently in China and on their behalf, another Qing Shi and Bhora, directors of MZ Pharmacy, were operating the business from Mahipal Pur.
A forensic analysis of the seized mobile phones and laptops is underway to uncover the entire network and the conspiracy. The identities and roles of other foreign nationals involved are also being investigated.
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