New Delhi [India], November 7 (ANI): A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has sentenced two more accused in the Pakistan-linked Visakhapatnam Navy espionage case.

The special court at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) sentenced Kalavalapalli Konda Babu and Aviansh Somal to five years and 10 months of Simple Imprisonment (SI) under each of Sections 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act. Babu belongs to the Visakhapatnam district, while Somal is a resident of the Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each, and in the event of default of payment, the accused persons will have to undergo an additional one-year SI in the case.

With this, a total of six accused persons have been convicted and sentenced in the case so far, relating to spying at vital installations and Indian Navy establishments by foreign spies and agents with the intent to threaten its unity, integrity, security and sovereignty.

The two accused persons, now convicted and sentenced, were arrested in December 2019 from Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Karwar (Karnataka), respectively, in the case.

The NIA stated that its investigations revealed they were in touch with foreign intelligence agencies through WhatsApp and were involved in sharing sensitive and classified information related to Indian Defence establishments and deployments.

As per investigations, the agency said, both men had come in contact with Pakistan intelligence agents through Facebook initially.

'They had received monetary benefits in lieu of secret and classified information, from Pak agents through accused Abdul Rehman, Haroon Lakdawala, Shaista Qaiser and Imran Giteli, who were convicted in the case earlier this year,' said the NIA.

'These four accused were found to have deposited various amounts into the accounts of accused persons on the directions of Pak Intelligence Agents as part of the espionage conspiracy.'

NIA, which took over the investigation from the Counter Intelligence Police Station, Intelligence Department, Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh Police) in December 2019, had arrested a total of 15 accused persons over the years.

In June 2020, the agency had chargesheeted 14 accused persons, followed by a supplementary chargesheet against one more accused person in March 2021.

The anti-terror agency also pointed out that further investigation and trial against other accused persons in the case are continuing. (ANI)