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. At least four of these arrests were made in Haryana, three in Punjab, and one in Uttar Pradesh.
After the arrest of a travel vlogger suspected of spying, Hisar police had sounded an alarm that young influencers were being targeted by enemy countries. For easy money, such influencers go on the wrong path, Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan had told reporters.
Here are the eight ‘spies’ arrested in recent times:
Jyoti Malhotra
Travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, who runs a YouTube channel called ‘Travel with JO’, is from Hisar, Haryana. She was arrested last week for sharing Indian military information with Pakistan. The 33-year-old had come in contact with an official from the Pakistan High Commission and had visited Pakistan at least twice, said police. Pakistani intelligence operatives were trying to develop her as their asset in India, they added.
Davender Singh
Davendra Singh Dhillon, 25, is a student of political science at Khalsa College in Patiala. On May 12, he was arrested in Haryana’s Kaithal for uploading photos of a pistol and guns on Facebook. It emerged during his questioning that he had visited Pakistan last November and had shared sensitive information with the officers of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, including pictures of the Patiala military cantonment.
Nauman Ilahi
Nauman Ilahi, 24, who worked as a security guard in Haryana, was arrested a few days earlier from Panipat. Reports suggest he was in touch with an ISI handler in Pakistan. The resident of Uttar Pradesh used to receive money from Pakistan in the account of his brother-in-law for supplying information to Islamabad, according to the police.
Arman
Arman, 23, was arrested in Haryana’s Nuh on May 16 based on intelligence inputs. The police said that he was found passing sensitive information to Pakistan during the heightened tensions between the two nations. Cops say they have evidence to support their claim, and the suspect is being further probed.
Shahzad
Shahzad, a businessman in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, was arrested in Moradabad by the Special Task Force (STF) on Sunday. He had passed sensitive information related to national security to his handlers, the STF said. He had travelled to Pakistan multiple times and was allegedly involved in the smuggling of cosmetics, clothes, and spices.
Mohammad Murtaza Ali
Mohammad Murtaza Ali was arrested during a raid by the Gujarat Police in Jalandhar. His arrest followed intelligence inputs that he was spying for Pakistan’s ISI. Reports suggest he did so through a mobile app that he had developed himself. Four mobile phones and three SIM cards were found with him.
Besides, two others identified as Gazala and Yamin Mohammad have also been 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. Pakistan soon launched a massive missile and drone attack, but the threats were thwarted. In retaliation, Indian forces struck airfields in Pakistan. A ceasefire on May 10 ended the hostilities after four days.
