A Bangladeshi Hindu, Malik had provided a fake Indian citizenship certificate before joining the ARC as a member of its Imagery Analysis Cadre.
NEW DELHI: Shaken by the espionage row involving an assistant director of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), who doubled up as an undercover Bangladeshi spy, the Centre has overhauled the the system to vet employees being recruited to intelligence agency.
Sources told DNA that the new system was recommended by a high-level committee, led by national security advisor M K Narayanan, and set up following the disappearance of Dewanchand Malik, an assistant director in the Aviation Research Centre of the RAW, around May 2005. Malik, who has been declared an absconder, would have gone on to become the deputy director, said the sources.
A Bangladeshi Hindu, Malik had provided a fake Indian citizenship certificate before joining the ARC as a member of its Imagery Analysis Cadre and was working as assistant director. He was there between 1996 and 2005, when he disappeared after his wife alerted the intelligence agency about his Bangladeshi origin. Malik and his wife are fighting a divorce battle in a Delhi court, and he hasn’t attended a single hearing for long.
The three-member committee, which included Dr R Chidambaram, principal scientific advisor to the Prime Minister, and the then RAW chief Hormis Tharakan, had recommended a complete revamp of the security clearance system “which is now being implemented” by the RAW.Since its inception, RAW had a two-layer security clearance system.
First, the selected candidate was required to provide a proof of citizenship and non-criminal background. The second stage involved a comprehensive security clearance from the district magistrate, and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The IB primarily conducted an index check against its list of people under suspicion.
Following the panel’s suggestion, a third layer has now been added. All Class I and Class II officers joining the RAW now need the agency’s mandate too. Besides, RAW will also have to carry out security clearance for all appointments to sensitive posts, in keeping with the committee’s recommendation.
Malik has come on board with a certificate of Indian citizenship from a deputy director of the agricultural department in the West Bengal government. The sources said the official is now facing disciplinary action.
The Imagery Analysis Cadre analyses images and intercepts gathered by ARC’s secret planes, helicopters and satellites. “It is an extremely sensitive job,” said a senior intelligence officer.
ARC operates several secret planes and helicopters from at least five bases—Delhi, Chakrata near Dehra Dun, Dum Duma near Tinsukia, Charbatia near Cuttack and possibly from Farkhor in Tajikistan.
The sources insisted Malik had not stolen any document, but they admitted he had “extremely valuable” information.
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