India Foils Pakistan’s Espionage Attempts, Arrests 8 Suspected Spies Across Three States
In a significant development, Indian authorities have arrested at least eight people from across three states for allegedly spying for Pakistan, amid increased surveillance on espionage activities in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, according to a report by NDTV. The arrests were made in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, with four suspects taken into custody in Haryana, three in Punjab, and one in Uttar Pradesh.
The arrests have been hailed as a major success for Indian intelligence agencies, which have been working to thwart Pakistan’s espionage attempts. According to NDTV, the suspects were allegedly involved in passing sensitive information to Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency. The arrests were made possible by intelligence inputs and meticulous police work.
One of the suspects, travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, was arrested from Hisar, Haryana, for sharing Indian military information with Pakistan. NDTV reported that Malhotra, who runs a YouTube channel called ‘Travel with JO’, had come in contact with an official from the Pakistan High Commission and had visited Pakistan at least twice. Pakistani intelligence operatives were allegedly trying to develop her as their asset in India.
Another suspect, Davendra Singh Dhillon, a 25-year-old student of political science at Khalsa College in Patiala, was arrested in Haryana’s Kaithal for uploading photos of a pistol and guns on Facebook. NDTV reported that during his questioning, it emerged that he had visited Pakistan last November and had shared sensitive information with ISI officers, including pictures of the Patiala military cantonment.
The other suspects include Nauman Ilahi, a 24-year-old security guard from Uttar Pradesh, who was arrested from Panipat for allegedly being in touch with an ISI handler in Pakistan. NDTV reported that Ilahi used to receive money from Pakistan in the account of his brother-in-law for supplying information to Islamabad.
Arman, a 23-year-old suspect, was arrested in Haryana’s Nuh on May 16 based on intelligence inputs. NDTV reported that the police said that he was found passing sensitive information to Pakistan during the heightened tensions between the two nations.
In addition to these arrests, NDTV reported that Tarif, a suspect from Haryana’s Nuh, was arrested for allegedly trying to delete chats on his mobile phone with Pakistani WhatsApp numbers. Shahzad, a businessman from Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) for passing sensitive information related to national security to his handlers.
The arrests also include Mohammad Murtaza Ali, who was arrested during a raid by the Gujarat Police in Jalandhar for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s ISI through a mobile app that he had developed himself. Two others, Gazala and Yamin Mohammad, were also arrested from Punjab on similar charges.
The arrests assume significance following days of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. India had blamed Pakistan’s terror infrastructure after the role of a terror group linked to Islamabad emerged in the Pahalgam massacre. In response to the attack, India had launched Operation Sindoor to strike terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
As reported by NDTV, the suspects were allegedly involved in a larger espionage network, with some of them having travelled to Pakistan multiple times. The police and intelligence agencies are working to uncover the full extent of the espionage ring and to identify any other suspects who may be involved.
The successful arrests are a testament to the effectiveness of Indian intelligence agencies in foiling Pakistan’s espionage attempts. As NDTV reported, the arrests have been hailed as a major success for Indian security forces, which have been working to thwart Pakistan’s attempts to gather sensitive information.
