The special cell of the Delhi Police arrested Rajeev Sharma, a journalist, who was found in possession of classified defence-related documents, under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on 14 September.
Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, DCP, Special Cell Delhi Police disclosed that journalist, Rajeev Sharma was involved in passing sensitive defence & strategic information to Chinese intelligence officers from 2016 to 2018. He used to meet them at several locations in different countries.
One Chinese lady and her Nepalese associate have also been arrested for paying him large amounts of money routed through shell companies. “Chinese intelligence reportedly tasked the journalist for conveying sensitive information in exchange of large amounts of money,” Delhi Police confirmed.
Rajeev Sharma, resident of Pitampura in Delhi, used to write for Chinese newspaper Global Times, Chinese mouthpiece, The Quint, The Tribune, Free Press Journal and others as a journalist. He had been covering defence and foreign affairs for around two decades.
Irony died thousand deaths. Rajeev Sharma belongs to the category of journalists, who described state of Indian media as pathetic because Indian media had become lapdog of the government, instead of being a watchdog. Is this how a journalist turns a watchdog by passing sensitive defence & strategic information to enemy country?
There are journalists like Rajeev Sharma, who demoralises his own country in his article at such sensitive time when the country is engaged with confrontation on border with enemy country, in the name of freedom of speech. There are news portals like The Quint, which is agenda based portal, instead of being a neutral media house. It is to be noted Rajeev Sharma used to write for The Quint also. Even Sharjeel Imam, who threatened to cut off Assam from India to teach India lesson, used to write for The Quint. Is it a co incidence that writers of The Quint end up being arrested under sever charges.
A disturbing question arises. Has China funded part of Indian media to run campaign against Indian government? Is this why their reporters blatantly support China whenever government takes decision in national interest?
In July, Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) had urged Indian government to take a hard look at the online news sector and ban all news apps and news platforms in India funded by investment by China or its investors, as this was important to ensure that biased information shouldn’t reach Indian users.
China not only controls its domestic media such as Global Times, China Daily, which are nothing but their propaganda tool, but also controls foreign media including in US as well. Now, shocking revelations about Rajeev Sharma passing sensitive defence & strategic information to Chinese intelligence officers from 2016 to 2018 is a wake up call for Indian authority to investigate deeper the China nexus with Indian media.
Rajeev Sharma used to write for many news portals bashing Indian government’s policies, which were against the interest of China. Was he the middle point between Chinese spy and news portals, which condemned policies of Indian government but never questioned Chinese government? This link must be investigated as India’s security and sovereignty are at stake because of such journalist. Also, how many Rajeev Sharmas are working on hidden agenda of China?
