Indian-origin scholar Ashley Tellis, aged 64, has been arrested in the United States on charges of unlawfully retaining classified documents and meeting with Chinese officials. His lawyers announced on Wednesday that they will vigorously contest the allegations against him. Tellis, who has held senior positions under former President George W. Bush and served as an unpaid advisor to the State Department, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

The FBI's investigation revealed that Tellis had over 1,000 pages of top-secret and secret documents at his home, found in various locations including locked cabinets and trash bags. A criminal affidavit stated that he accessed and printed classified materials related to US military aircraft capabilities from the State Department in late September. Surveillance footage reportedly shows him leaving government buildings with a briefcase believed to contain these documents.

Tellis is also accused of meeting with Chinese officials multiple times, including a dinner in Fairfax, Virginia, where he allegedly left behind a manila envelope. The Justice Department clarified that the charges focus on the improper handling of classified materials rather than the meetings themselves.

His lawyers, Deborah Curtis and John Nassikas, emphasized that Tellis is a "widely respected scholar and senior policy advisor" and denied any insinuation that he operated on behalf of a foreign adversary. Tellis has been placed on administrative leave from his position as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a prominent think tank in Washington.

Originally from Mumbai, Tellis has been influential in shaping US-India relations, notably helping negotiate the civil nuclear cooperation deal during the Bush administration. However, in recent years, he has expressed views that diverge from mainstream Washington perspectives on India, particularly regarding its stance on issues like the Ukraine conflict. The case continues to raise significant concerns about national security and the handling of classified information.