JK: Police grill doctor couple in spy case

A doctor couple in Rajouri have been questioned by security agencies in connection with the sensational espionage case involving an Indian diplomat, who was arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan.

A team of officials quizzed Dr Khem Raj Sharma and his wife Dr Champa Sharma for nearly two hours in connection with the spying case at Sunderbani in Rajouri district last night, highly placed sources told PTI.

During questioning, Champa Sharma told interrogators that diplomat Madhuri Gupta had visited her residence in Sunderbani on March 29 for a day after crossing from Pakistan via Wagha border in a Toyota vehicle registered in Pakistan.

Another close friend of theirs, Dr Prem Lata, had also come to their residence during the same time and they had visited various places in Jammu.

She left for Pakistan after a day and later Prem Lata too left for her residence in Delhi. During their stay, officials of the Military Intelligence (MI) had visited their residence to verify the details of the vehicle in which Gupta had come.

Champa also told the interrogators that she knew Madhuri through her friend Prem Lata, her batchmate at Lady Harding Medical College in Delhi.

She told interrogators that they used to call each other but no e-mails were exchanged between them, the sources said, adding Champa had opened an e-mail account 10-15 days back.

Referring to the Army officer whose name has figured during the investigation, they said the officer is brother of Dr Champa. He is a senior army officer posted in Meerut.

The couple had cooperated with the investigation, but their involvement seems negligible, they said.