ISI agent nabbed in Bihar by Army

Kolkata, May 10 (UNI) Claiming a major success, the Army today said it had arrested an ISI agent, who served in its ranks and was absconding since eight years, from Jogabani area in Bihar.

Defence spokesman Wing Commander R K Das told newspersons here that the Army Intelligence unit had arrested lance naik Jan Mohammad Mansoori, who escaped from custody in 1998, from a Madrassa in Araria district of Bihar on May five.

He said Mansoori was being interrogated about his activities in the last eight years and to ascertain if he had any ''contacts'' in the Defence forces.

The spokesman said Mansoori, who joined the Indian Army (Core of Signals) in 1988 after undergoing intensive espionage training by the ISI for nearly five years, was arrested by the Army in 1998 in Jabalpur for passing on vital defence information to the Pakistani intelligence agency.

However, he managed to escape while being taken to Jalandhar by train and was absconding since then.

Mansoori was produced before the Alipore court here to record his confession, the Army spokesman said.

''The Army Intelligence Unit had been on his trail for the past few years...Mansoori had escaped to Pakistan immediately after deserting the Army and received more training from the ISI. Later, he returned to India under a fictitious name,'' he added.

The spokeman, however, declined to comment on the type of information Mansoori had been able to pass on to the ISI.

''He was able to pass on some important defence documents and recruit some ISI agents in India...during interrogation.

Mansoori also revealed certain aspects of ISI operations in neighbouring countries.'' Four Indian Army personnel have also been arrested recently on spying charges.

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