Indian Army denies spying angle in case involving major

The Indian Army today asserted that there is no evidence so far to suggest espionage activities by a major whose computer was allegedly used to mail sensitive information to Pakistan, saying it was a case of hacking by an external agency.

"This is a case of computer hacking through an external agency," army spokesperson Col S Om Singh said.

He said the matter was still under investigation.

"However, so far there is no evidence to suggest an espionage case," Singh said, adding the officer was never under "safe custody" as reported by media and is on duty with his parent unit.

The major, posted in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has come under the scanner of central security agencies in the wake of the alleged transfer of data from his computer to Pakistan.

Sources in the agencies, however, said no charges of spying have come so far against the officer. The agencies are also not ruling out the possibility of his computer being hacked by Pakistani agents.

The case came to light when some intercepts showed picture of a senior Army officer, on a sensitive training abroad, being transferred to Pakistan from the computer of a user based in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.     

Sources said the officer has claimed ignorance about the entire episode and said his computer could have been hacked.