Germany begins trial of Indian couple accused of spying for RAW  

• Manmohan started spying for the Indian intelligence agency back in 2015, while Kanwaljit joined him in 2017.
• The couple was tasked to monitor and record the activities of Kashmiri people and Sikh groups in Germany.
• In return to their services, RAW officials gave them a sum of 7,200 euros.

(Karachi) The trial of an Indian couple, accused of spying on Kashmiri and Sikh groups and sending the information to Indian intelligence agency, began at a court in Germany’s Frankfurt City. If charges against the suspects are proved, they could face up to ten years of imprisonment, German media reported.

Manmohan S, 50, and his wife 51-year-old wife Kanwaljit K, were arrested and charged for providing secret information and their involvement in spying activity in Germany. The couple was charged earlier in March and had been under detention of German authorities.

Accused Manmohan started spying for the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) back in 2015, while Kanwaljit joined him in 2017. As part of their secret service, the couple was tasked to monitor and record the activities of Kashmiri people and Sikh groups in Germany and forwarded the information to the RAW officials posted at the Consulate General of India in Frankfurt.

They also provided detailed data and information over the Kashmiri movement in Germany and the ways to make the campaign unsuccessful.

In return to the services that they provided to RAW, the couple received a sum of 7,200 euros from the Indian intelligence officials.

The hearing of the trial will continue till December 12.

Earlier, an Indian undercover agent identified as Ranjit was convicted by a German court for spying on Indian community, especially the Sikh groups. The court handed down a nine-month jail term to the convict.

This is not the first incident in which Indian undercover agents were caught and exposed. In the past, several such cases were highlighted where Indian intelligence agency RAW was found involved in hatching conspiracies and spying against different countries, including Pakistan and Germany.