NIA Arrests Its Own Former officer for Conspiring With Lashkar-e-Taiba, Leaking Info to Pakistan’s ISI

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested a Himachal cadre IPS officer who supervised crucial investigation in NIA toll recently.

Arvind Digvijay Negi, a former SP of NIA has been accused of conspiring with over ground workers (OGW) of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and passing on sensitive investigation details to Pakistan’s spy agency ISI via the OGWs.

“During investigation, the role of AD Negi, IPS, SP posted at Shimla (since repatriated from NIA) was verified and his houses were searched. It was also found that official secret documents of NIA were leaked by AD Negi to another accused person who is an OGW of LeT in the case,” the NIA said in a statement.

Negi’s role came up during the NIA probe against HR activist Khurram Parvez. News18 had reported in November that allegations have been made by Khurram and others against Negi which NIA was verifying.

On November 6, 2021, NIA had begun its probe into the widespread network of OGWs of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The OGWs were accused of providing support in planning and execution of terrorist activities in India. The NIA has arrested 6 accused persons in the case so far.

As per officials, Negi, who was one of the most decorated officers of the NIA, came under the scanner after an alert from the intelligence agencies. “The probe began after an intelligence input that the details of investigation into crucial cases were being shared with Pakistan’s ISI by the officer concerned,” an official in the security grid told News18. The allegation is that Negi passed on the case diary in crucial investigations to the ISI.

“The suspicion is that he traded crucial case documents in lieu of money. Investigating agencies are probing his assets, etc.,” an officer said.

The former NIA officer’s premises in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, were one of the three locations raided by NIA on November 22. The other two were Sonwar and Amirakadal in Srinagar — the residence and office of Parvez.

The NIA carried out the arrest after “verifying claims ” made by the suspects and giving Negi a chance to clarify multiple times. Electronic devices seized during searches were also scanned for evidence before the decision to arrest was made, officers said.

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