At least nine large private companies in the country faced trouble as police and intelligence agencies made several arrests and detentions over their involvement in corporate espionage, using a network of government officials and private consultants to gain clandestine access to top-secret government documents on energy policy.
The top companies involved in the espionage include Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, a firm having links with a leading media entity, a leading airport developer, a conglomerate that divested of its mobile business venture a few years ago, and a firm having energy investment in Rajasthan.
The Delhi Police, with the help of the Intelligence Bureau, arrested at least five people, including one Asaram, a lower rung official from the office of Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan.
Shockingly, Asaram was leaking documents from the petroleum ministry’s Shastri Bhavan office to corporate representatives through his two middlemen sons– Rakesh and Lalta. The duo had, in turn, roped in other lower level officials in the ministry. The two sons and an official from the Reliance Industries, Shailesh Saxena, were also arrested, sources said.
The arrests were made following a coordinated raid and searches made in many places in Delhi, Noida and Gurgoan. The raid and searches were still continuing on the premises of some industrial houses, police sources said.
The sources said the go-ahead for the raids were given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The information collected so far is just a tip of the iceberg, they added.
The documents seized so far include a discussion paper prepared by the Prime Minister’s principal Secretary on a cabinet committee on economic affairs note of February 4, a background note on national gas grid meant to be incorporated in the upcoming Union Budget, documents regarding correspondence between the Indian Embassy in Kuwait and the Petroleum Ministry secretary, and a CAG report on hydrocarbons, the sources said.
Police have also detained three corporate staff members for sourcing highly classified documents through illegal means and using them for offering insights into energy market and research.
The three private individuals likely to be arrested are Reliance Industry’s Shailesh Saxena, former senior journalist Shantanu Sakia who runs Indiapetro.com website offering energy solutions and Metis Business Solutions Pvt Ltd CEO Prayas Jain.
The RIL said they have started “robust internal probe” on the detention of one of its senior employees.
The Delhi Police said leaking of energy policy documents, going on for years now, was stifling the country’s economic growth and compromising internal security as many of these documents were passed on to foreign clients by private energy consultancy firms for huge profit.
A senior police officer said the exposé was just the tip of the iceberg as they were still going through stacks of documents seized from corporate fixers and ministry employees. It may reach out to other ministries as well. The searches were continuing on the premises of industrial houses and lobbyists in Delhi, Noida and Gurgoan.
Police said Dharmendra Pradhan was unaware of espionage. The minister described the case as serious and assured strong action against his ministry’s employees under investigation.
“They will be severely dealt with. Police are probing the case. We will take strong action against the guilty. The government will come down hard on them,” he told reporters.
Police Commissioner B S Bassi told reporters late on Thursday evening that one of the persons would enter the Shastri Bhavan using forged identity cards to get ministry documents.
“All those who are recipients of stolen property will be questioned and action taken. If the documents fall under the purview of the Official Secrets Act, then the relevant sections will also be imposed,” Bassi said.
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