INDIA said it had arrested an army sergeant for allegedly handing secret military papers to a Pakistan High Commission employee, sparking a new spy row between the two countries.

The allegation by Indian police prompted a strong protest from Islamabad.

“Anil Kumar Dubey, a sergeant in the Indian army was arrested Friday while passing classified documents to Mohammad Farooq of the Pakistan High Commission,” New Delhi Deputy Commissi-oner of Police Alok Kumar said.

Police said the army sergeant was being held under India’s Official Secrets Act and that police had acted on “intelligence inputs.”

Dubey was in police custody while Farooq, whom police identified as a driver for the Pakistan High Commission, was handed over to the mission.

Pakistan charged that Indian security illegally detained and manhandled the embassy employee in New Delhi.

Pakistani Foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said Indian security personnel picked up Farooq in New Delhi, kept him in detention for several hours and roughed him up.

“The government of Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with the Indian Government over the illegal detention and manhandling of Mohammad Farooq ... by the Indian security personnel,” the foreign ministry said.

“The harassment of a Pakistani official is a violation of international conventions as well as diplomatic norms.”

Aslam said the protest was lodged with Indian authorities by the Pakistani mission in New Delhi.

(SD-Agencies)