On Wednesday, a sessions court in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, convicted seven individuals for procuring SIM cards using fake identities and sharing one-time passwords (OTPs) with operatives of Pakistani intelligence. The court sentenced each convict to three years in prison and imposed a fine of ₹32,000 (approximately $385 USD). Among the convicts are Pritam Kar and Soumya Ranjan Pattanaik from Jajpur, and Pathani Samanta Lenka, Saroj Kumar Nayak, and Pradyumna Sahu from Nayagarh. The investigation by the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police, which led to their arrest in May 2023, revealed that the prime accused, Lenka, had links with Pakistani intelligence agents. The accused were allegedly in contact with agents Danish Ali and Abdul Hamid. Despite efforts, Odisha Police did not receive cooperation from Pakistani authorities, even after seeking assistance from the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). The fraudulent activities involved the misuse of OTPs to create online bank accounts and social media profiles, facilitating further illegal activities.