RAW counter-intelligence wing is to blame for spy’s escape: NSA report

The Indian Express has learnt that Narayanan has squarely blamed the counter-intelligence wing, which failed to nab Singh despite tailing him.

Adding an ironic twist to the episode is the fact that Singh, now known to have been working for the US, was making his escape around the same time that C D Sahay was visiting that country. Till then, RAW was still trying to piece together the extent of Singh’s betrayal.

Narayanan, a former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief, has pointed out how RAW’s counter-intelligence wing let Singh give it the slip despite having him in its sights. Nor did it bother to alert other agencies like IB to keep tabs on him.

In fact, RAW officials were in Amritsar on April 30, hoping to catch Singh while he “made a drop”. He did not go to Amritsar and showed up in Nepalgunj four days later. It was only then that RAW learnt of his escape to Nepal. It was too late by then as Singh was given a US passport by Nepal-based US operatives and flown to the US via Vienna.

Interestingly, Sahay visited three European stations and the US towards the end of April and beginning of May. Singh surfaced in Nepalgunj on May 4.

Only a select few in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) have seen Narayanan’s report. Sources said it was prepared after the NSA went down for at least three sessions at the agency’s headquarters in CGO complex. The RAW also provided transcripts of the videotapes that showed Rabinder Singh photocopying secret documents in his office.

The NDA government was given a report on the defection by Sahay only on May 11, 2004.

This newspaper has also learnt that it was largely on the basis of the NSA’s damaging report, submitted earlier this month, that the Prime Minister decided that the next RAW chief should be from outside the organisation. Thus, the claims of RAW Special Secretary J K Sinha were ignored and the P K Hormese Tharakan, an outsider, was appointed Sahay’s successor.

Meanwhile, Narayanan is still finalising the report on restructuring RAW, including the issue of expanding its cadre strength which has been looked at by the agency’s former chief A S Dulat. It is understood that the NSA is in favour of beefing up the counter-intelligence wing of RAW.