Indian-Origin Analyst Ashley Tellis Arrested in US Over Secret Documents, China Ties

Ashley Tellis, a senior American analyst and South Asia policy advisor of Indian origin, has been arrested in the US. According to reports, he is accused of possessing confidential documents and contacting Chinese government officials.

The court heard that Tellis, 64, illegally possessed sensitive national defense information, including more than 1,000 classified documents found at his home in Vienna, Virginia. Tellis is an eminent name in US-India relations and has served under several US administrations.

Background and professional experience

Tellis wrote to President George W. Worked in the National Security Council during Bush's tenure. According to the FBI affidavit, he has also been a consultant to the State Department and a contractor to the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment. He is also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based think tank.

Born in Mumbai, Tellis received MA and PhD degrees in political science from St. Xavier's College and the University of Chicago. Over the years, he had become an important and respected voice in the US-India-China policy arena, whose writings were closely watched in Washington, New Delhi, and Beijing.

Security agencies found evidence

According to court documents, Tellis accessed sensitive Defense and State Department files in September and October. CCTV footage showed him printing out confidential files related to the capabilities of US military aircraft and carrying them in a leather briefcase.

Search and seize documents

A search warrant executed on October 11 led to the recovery of classified papers from various locations in his home, including filing cabinets, desks, and black garbage bags.