(JTA) — Police in Pune, India, deported an Iranian doctoral candidate for "undesirable activities," which reportedly included spying on a local synagogue and the Chabad house.
It was discovered through intercepted e-mails that Hamid Kashkouli, who was studying for his doctorate at the University of Pune, was an undercover agent for the Iranian government, the Pune Mirror reported. Kashkouli was deported to Iran from Delhi last month.
He reportedly collected information about visitors’ movements at the Chabad house and at Pune’s Rasta Peth Synagogue, and had made regular visits to the Iranian Consulate in Mumbai.
Kashkouli had not submitted a progress report of his research during his time at the University of Pune and visited his research adviser only sporadically, the Pune Mirror reported. He also did not have a student or research visa, according to the report, which cited police sources.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
