A cyber security professional who had submitted a report on a post by Jaish-ul- Hind on Telegram claiming responsibility for the Antilia bomb scare case told the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that his report was not specific to the Ambani case but was instructed to modify it on the directions of the then Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who insisted to initially pay him Rs 3 lakhs but later paid him Rs 5 lakhs stating that he had done "excellent work" and "deserved" to be paid for services rendered.
The NIA in its 10,000-page charge sheet submitted in the case attached the statement of the professional which read, "I had visited the office of the CP Mumbai on 9th March 2021 in connection with a training program that concluded on 15.01.2021 for Crime Branch, Mumbai and a second training which started for Addl. CP Mumbai in the first week of February 2021. Besides, new training was verbally proposed for South Mumbai under the supervision of Addl. CP South. During the said meeting I mentioned to Sh. Param Bir Singh, IPS the then CP Mumbai that the Telegram Channel "Jaish-ul-Hind" on which a post had appeared on 27.02.2021 claiming responsibility for the Antillia terror scare, has been resolved by the Special Cell Delhi Police and that the mobile phone number linked with the said Telegram Channel was found to be used from within the premises of Tihar Jail."
The statement further read, "I told the CP Sir that as a cyber security expert I too had been following a Telegram Channel with a similar name since the time a blast had occurred outside the Israel embassy in New Delhi on 29.01.2021 and that since I was already into such work I have shared with the Special Cell Delhi Police, information gathered by me and thereafter I was asked by the Special Cell to collaborate with the Special Cell Delhi Police. After sharing the above information with CP Mumbai, I was asked whether I could give such a report in writing. I said that the work was confidential and was being done by the Special Cell Delhi Police and hence it would not be proper on my part to give any report in writing in this regard. But the CP Sir said that it is a very important matter and that I should be giving the said report and that CP Sir was also going to talk to IG NIA in this regard."
"As per the insistence of the CP Mumbai, I prepared a report on my laptop computer sitting in the office of the CP Mumbai. The said report was in one paragraph and I showed it to CP Mumbai. After going through the Parmabir Singh sir asked me to insert the poster that had appeared on the Telegram Channel "Jaish-ul-Hind" claiming responsibility for the Antillia scare. He told me that IG NIA is expected shortly and that he would like to show the report to the IG NIA. Accordingly, I modified my report and inserted the poster that had appeared on the Telegram Channel 'Jaish-ul-Hind' and mailed the said report to the official email id of CP Mumbai," said the cyber security professional in his statement to NIA.
Mentioning Singh's insistence to pay the professional, the statement read, "Parambir Singh said that he wanted to pay me for the services rendered and asked how much amount should be paid by him to me. I replied that I was not expecting any payment. But Parambir Singh insisted that I had done excellent work and that I deserved payment for the services rendered."
"Accordingly, he called his personal assistant and directed the personal assistant to pay me Rs 3 lakhs. As the personal assistant left the chamber for following the instructions, Parambir Singh called back the personal assistant and directed the personal assistant to pay me Rs 5 lakhs. I again told CP Sir that the amount was too much and there was no need for such payment. But CP Sir insisted that I deserved the said payment for the services rendered and I received Rs 5 lakhs in cash from the personal assistant in the presence of Parambir Singh, read the professional's statement submitted to the NIA.
The cyber security professional also stated that the report, which he had sent to the Delhi Special Cell regarding Jaish-ul-Hind, was for a different case, but had to insert in it a poster of Jaish-ul-Hind claiming the responsibility of Antilia bomb scare on the directions of Singh.
( With inputs from ANI )
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