LUCKNOW: A Special NIA Court in Lucknow has convicted 28-year-old Wasiullah Khan in a Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) espionage case involving an alleged conspiracy to share sensitive information related to the Indian Army with handlers of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The court sentenced him to four years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 8,000 under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The judgment was delivered on Friday by Special Judge (NIA) and Additional Sessions Judge Umakant Jindal. Wasiullah Khan was found guilty under Sections 121A (conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, along with Section 13 of the UAPA. The ATS arrested Khan, a BTech graduate from Rajajipuram in Lucknow, in 2023 after his name surfaced during the interrogation of Shailendra Pratap Singh Chauhan, who had also been arrested earlier in the espionage case. The ATS said Khan was working with ISI operatives and facilitating financial transactions linked to their network. According to the ATS, digital evidence showed Khan was part of an online network operated by ISI handlers and cyber hackers. Investigators claimed he received nearly Rs 25 lakh from ISI operatives and later transferred funds to Chauhan and others. The agency further alleged that cryptocurrency was used to conceal the financial trail. The prosecution told the court that Khan projected himself as an Indian Army employee by posting photographs of himself in military uniform on social media and, in return for money, shared confidential information related to military establishments and the movement of Army vehicles. Following its investigation, the ATS filed a supplementary chargesheet accusing Khan of criminal conspiracy and involvement in unlawful activities linked to the espionage network. Charges were formally framed against him on January 21, 2025. Senior advocate M K Singh said that on July 25, 2026, Khan moved an application before the court voluntarily admitting his guilt. His confession was later recorded under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Seeking leniency, he told the court that his elderly father was dependent on him and requested the minimum punishment. Relying on the confession and the prosecution’s evidence, the court held that Khan had conspired to share sensitive military information with ISI handlers through social media platforms. The court observed that his actions had the potential to threaten India’s unity, sovereignty and integrity, and concluded that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.
