The revelation that a 53-year-old diplomat working for our High Commission in Islamabad has been passing on sensitive information to a Pakistani intelligence officer is a matter of serious concern. If the allegation is indeed true, it means that our diplomatic mission in Pakistan has been compromised. The Government, no doubt, will initiate damage control measures to patch up the leak. But that would essentially be a band-aid solution. The diplomat concerned — identified as Ms Madhuri Gupta — was posted as a second secretary-level officer at the High Commission in Islamabad. It is being alleged that she was passing on secrets to a man called Rana who is believed to be a Pakistani sleuth. Ms Gupta, who was picked up by the police from her Delhi residence last week and questioned by a team comprising members of different intelligence agencies, is also being investigated for her role, if any, in the 2008 bombing of our Embassy in Kabul. Apparently, she came under the scanner of our intelligence agencies after she showed 'extraordinary interest' in areas beyond her role in the media wing of the High Commission. She was subsequently put under surveillance for six months before being called back by the External Affairs Ministry under the pretext of work related to the ongoing SAARC summit in Bhutan.
Whether we like to admit it or not, the case highlights the shortcomings of our counter-intelligence initiatives. Protecting Indian diplomats working in diplomatic missions abroad from foreign intelligence agencies is one of the main objectives of a country's counter-intelligence programme. Such diplomats are at times susceptible to the nefarious designs of spies working for the other side. In that sense, our intelligence agencies were clearly not able to react fast enough to prevent Ms Gupta from passing on information to her Pakistani contact. Second, it cannot be that she acted alone. She was a very junior officer in our mission in Islamabad and could not have gained access to secrets without the help of those in senior positions. In fact, according to her own reported admission to the investigators, she used to get information from a certain senior diplomat. Thus, the investigation into the case should also expose who helped Ms Gupta in her endeavours. Finally, the case must be taken to its logical conclusion. It is obvious that there were lapses in terms of accountability at various levels. In order to prevent a repeat of this episode, those who were sleeping on their jobs must be held responsible. It is understandable that the case is a sensitive one from the perspective of national security. But the people deserve to broadly know who all were responsible for the lapse and what corrective measures are being taken.
