LUCKNOW The special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sentenced the second key accused in a Pakistan-backed military espionage case to six years in prison, officials said on Wednesday.

Rajakbhai Kumbhar of Gujarat’s West Kutch district was booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act UA(P)A, along with fine.

The court said all sentences would run concurrently and one month’s imprisonment would be added for each charge in the event of failure to pay the fine.

Earlier, the special NIA court had convicted the accused, Mohd Rashid of Chandauli, UP, in this case initially registered by the ATS, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, alleging that Rashid was in touch with defense and security officials. the ISI of Pakistan. The ATS had tasked Rashid with providing Pakistani agents with photographs of sensitive, tactically and strategically important locations in India, as well as movements of the Indian Army. These photographs, including those of the defense insignia, were taken from his cell phone.

The NIA, which took over the case in April 2020, indicted Rashid in July 2020 and later filed a supplementary chargesheet against Rajakbhai Kumbhar in February 2021. The agency’s investigations revealed that Rajakbhai had conspired with Rashid and ISI agents based in Pakistan to commit terrorist acts, as well as acts preparatory to their commission.

The investigation confirmed that the two also conspired to cover up the nefarious anti-India plan carried out by agents based in Pakistan. The chargesheet said Rajakbhai facilitated Rashid by providing funds in exchange for sensitive photographs, which Rashid sent to ISI agents, as per NIA investigations.