'Copied secret files, has links with China'; Indian-origin US adviser arrested

WASHINGTON: An Indian-origin US scholar, who advised the US government, has been arrested in the US over alleged links with China. Ashley Tellis was arrested for keeping classified defence-related documents and meeting with Chinese officials. He was taken into custody on October 11, just before boarding a flight to Rome.

Lindsey Halligan, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced the arrest. "The US government is committed to protecting its people from both domestic and international flights. This arrest is connected to a matter that could affect national security. The facts and the law in this case are clear, and justice will be served," Halligan said. If found guilty, Tellis could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, according to the attorney’s office.

64-year-old Tellis had worked as an unpaid advisor to the U.S. government for over two decades. Investigators found that he had stored thousands of pages of highly classified information at his residence. He is accused of copying secret files during a visit to the U.S. Air Force headquarters on September 25. The attorney’s office also said that he had met several times with Chinese officials at a restaurant in Virginia.

Tellis, originally from India and now a U.S. citizen, is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His work focuses on international security and U.S. foreign and defence policy, particularly related to Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

He has also served in the U.S. Foreign Service and worked as a senior advisor to the U.S. ambassador in New Delhi. Tellis held senior positions under former U.S. President George W. Bush and played a key role in the U.S.–India civil nuclear agreement. In recent years, however, Tellis has been critical of U.S.–India relations. He has accused India of sometimes pursuing anti-U.S. policies and maintaining close ties with Russia and Iran. He has also expressed doubts about whether India could ever match China’s power.