India-Origin US Policy Expert Ashley Tellis Arrested Over Secret Documents, Alleged China Links Under Probe

A leading Indian-origin US policy expert, Ashley Tellis, has been arrested for allegedly storing classified defence documents and meeting with Chinese government officials, according to court filings unsealed this week, India Today reported.

The US Justice Department accused Tellis, 64, of illegally keeping over a thousand pages of classified material at his Virginia residence, including top-secret files.

A well-known authority on US-India relations, Tellis was taken into custody over the weekend and officially charged on Monday.

The FBI affidavit identifies him as an unpaid State Department adviser and Pentagon contractor, who previously served on the National Security Council under President George W Bush.

Tellis also holds a senior fellowship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a leading Washington-based policy institute.

Since joining the US government in 2001, Tellis has guided both Republican and Democratic leaders on Indian and South Asian affairs.

His arrest follows the Trump administration’s stricter approach toward classified document breaches, with DNI Tulsi Gabbard pledging “no exceptions” in prosecution of offenders.

US Federal investigators are additionally probing claims that Tellis removed classified files from secure facilities and met with Chinese government representatives.

Announcing the charges, US Attorney Lindsey Halligan said the alleged actions “posed a grave risk to the safety and security of our citizens.”

If found guilty, Tellis faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and forfeiture of related materials.

US authorities clarified that the charges are allegations, and Tellis remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Recognised as a leading scholar on Indian and South Asian affairs, Tellis has served in key government roles, including senior adviser to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

He notably contributed to the landmark US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement.

Tellis previously worked on the National Security Council as Special Assistant to President Bush and Senior Director for Strategic Planning and Southwest Asia.

Before joining public service, Tellis was a senior analyst and professor at the RAND Corporation.

His academic contributions include books like Striking Asymmetries and Revising US Grand Strategy Toward China.

He is also affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

US media reports suggest investigators are reviewing Tellis’s interactions with Chinese officials during professional and academic events. While no espionage has been alleged, prosecutors argue his possession of classified materials violated federal security rules.

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