Author: Pramod Kumar singh
Publication: The Daily Pioneer
Date: March 13, 2006
Raw officer missing since 2004 with secrets
---- Rabindra Singh, the former joint secretary of the country's external
intelligence agency, whose mysterious disappearance two years ago had created
quite a stir, has been traced along with his family members.
Well-placed sources told the Pioneer that
Singh who went missing on May 14, 2004, was discovered living in disguise
in the United States.
Based on his latest photograph in disguise
and other evidence, the Indian agencies have concluded that the former Joint
Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was holed up in the countryside
of Virginia state with his wife and two children. Now intense efforts are
on to bring him to justice.
Singh, a clean-shaven Sikh came on deputation
to RAW from the Army in the 1980s. He held the rank of major at that time.
He did not go back to the Army on completion of his deputation as he was absorbed
as a member of RAW's Research and Analysis Service.
Throughout his career, he was considered by
many of his peers as an average officer. He was rated poor as an intelligence
analyst, but better as a field operative.
During his career, he worked in Amritsar and
subsequently as a field operative in West Asia and West Europe.
In Amritsar, he was assigned the task of collecting
trans-border intelligence about the training of Sikh extremists by Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence in Pakistani territory. In West Asia, his task
was monitoring the activities of terrorist groups. In West Europe, he focused
on the activities of Sikh terrorist elements operating there.
He had been part and parcel of several undercover
missions and was one of the 15 joint secretaries in the country's top external
intelligence agency's secretariat. His disappearance had shocked the nation
as he knew a lot about counter intelligence missions and there were apprehensions
that it could harm national interests.
Probe had revealed that Singh fled to Nepal
via Bihar border and managed to reach US with the help of undercover operatives
of US intelligence.
Sources said that he decided to flee after
his handlers in the US intelligence agencies realised that their clandestine
dealings were no longer secret and that Indian agencies were aware of it.
The former Joint Secretary who was in-charge
of the Southeast Asia desk was under surveillance by his agency's counter-intelligence
unit before he was reported missing on May 14. His disappearance has baffled
the top brass in the RAW as he had managed to defect despite a watch being
kept on him in his office and outside. It was alleged that Singh was allegedly
handing over vital information to US intelligence agencies' officials based
in the Indian Capital.
Singh was also under the scanner because he
was once caught carrying sensitive files and classified information out of
his office, something that is not permitted. He was also was filmed Xeroxing
classified documents in his office. His activities were taken very seriously
as contacts with foreign secret agents were never liked in RAW and it is always
frowned on by the top bosses, the sources added.