A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Visakhapatnam has sentenced two more accused in the Pakistan-linked spying case involving sensitive Indian Navy installations, the agency said on Monday.
With the latest verdict, the total number of convictions in the case has risen to 10, while the trial continues against the remaining accused.
Details of the convicted accused
The court sentenced Somnath Sanjay Ikade, a resident of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra, and Sonu Kumar from Hathras district in Uttar Pradesh to simple imprisonment of five years, 11 months and 15 days each.
They were convicted under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act for their involvement in espionage activities.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹5,000 each on the convicts. In the event of default in payment, they will have to undergo an additional one year of simple imprisonment, the NIA said.
Arrests and investigation timeline
Ikade and Kumar were arrested in December 2019, with Ikade taken into custody from Karwar in Karnataka and Kumar from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
The case was initially registered by the Counter Intelligence Police Station of the Intelligence Department in Vijayawada and was later taken over by the NIA in December 2019 due to its national security implications.
Spying at vital defence installations
According to the agency, the case relates to spying activities at vital installations and Indian Navy establishments, allegedly carried out by foreign spies and their local agents with links to Pakistan.
The NIA filed a chargesheet against 14 accused in June 2020, followed by a supplementary chargesheet against one more accused in March 2021.
Trial continues against remaining accused
“This takes the total number of convictions in the case so far to 10. Trial is continuing against the remaining five accused arrested by the NIA,” the agency said in a statement.
Investigators believe the espionage network was part of a larger conspiracy aimed at undermining India’s unity, integrity, security and sovereignty.
Ongoing probe into wider conspiracy
The NIA said investigations are still under way to uncover the full extent of the espionage racket, including foreign links, funding channels and intelligence handlers.
The case first came to light in January 2021, when Andhra Pradesh Police registered it under provisions related to criminal conspiracy, offences against the State, the UAPA and the Official Secrets Act.
Officials said the latest convictions underline the agency’s continued focus on safeguarding national security and bringing those involved in espionage to justice.