Chandigarh: A series of arrests across Punjab and Haryana has not only exposed a disturbing espionage network operated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), but has also revealed how Indian youths, including women, were systematically targeted and recruited through social media platforms.
A study of the police investigations into the arrests revealed that the Pakistan agents adopted almost the same modus operandi to target the youths with emotional manipulation, easy visas and cash incentives to leak sensitive military and security information.
In less than a month the arrests of more than 10 individuals including a female YouTuber, a widow, students, a security guard, and a truck driver and farmers aged 20 to 35, have triggered urgent calls within the security establishment for a complete overhaul of national and state level surveillance and counter-intelligence mechanisms, particularly in the digital domain.
The crackdown begun in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, was part of a joint operation codenamed “Digital Dushman”. The officials associated with the intelligence agencies revealed that the ISI aimed to exploit internal vulnerabilities, using new-age platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and YouTube to groom unsuspecting Indian citizens into espionage.
Officials say the espionage network’s operational model marks a significant shift in Pakistan’s spycraft from traditional agents to ordinary civilians.
However, the police teams from the states in collaboration with the national intelligence agencies are still probing this network being operated from the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi. But the available information revealed that the accused from Haryana and Punjab were mostly from the middle class families and were lured for small amounts ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh for tasks such as photographing military convoys, filming air base perimeters, reporting on troop movements. The Pakistan agents even took the of Pakistan visa aspirants by charging an extra Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per applicant for an early and easy visa process.
One of the pivotal developments in the entire espionage network was the identification and subsequent expulsion of Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistan high commission official based in New Delhi. According to intelligence reports, Danish functioned as the local handler, connecting ISI’s foreign operatives to their Indian assets and was instrumental in targeting the youths, especially from minority communities.
The most “popular” name among the arrested is Jyoti Malhotra, a Hisar-based YouTuber with over 3.8 lakh followers, who came under surveillance after posting about her 2023 visit to Lahore and attending a cultural event hosted by the Pakistan high commission. However, the Hisar Superintendent of Police Shashank Kumar Sawan claimed that “So far, there is no evidence that Jyoti had access to any military, defence, or strategic information.” But the police sought her custody for four more days to interrogate her as the police had claimed that her expenses and transactions were beyond her earnings.
The investigators found that some recruits were also lured through romantic or emotional manipulation. Guzala, a 32-year-old widow from Malerkotla of Punjab, told the investigators that she was offered money for her children’s education in return for providing updates on local police movements. They found that she was in regular touch with Danish. An investigation by the Punjab Police also revealed that Danish used to “honey-trap” women to create them as espionage assets. Guzala told the police that he promised to marry her and sent a total Rs 30,000 in two transactions.
Similarly, Devendra Singh Dhillon, a 25-year-old political science student from Haryana’s Kaithal was allegedly radicalized after a trip to Kartarpur and later was instructed to monitor Indian Army convoys. Dhillon, a farmer’s son, is a student of MA in political science in Khalsa College of Patiala in Punjab. He was initially arrested for uploading pictures on social media. But during questioning he confessed to having shared the details of the defence installation in Patiala with his handlers in Pakistan. Now the police is trying to establish his money trail through cyber experts and bank accounts.
With the investigation moving forward the list is getting longer. Besides Guzala, those arrested from Punjab are Karanbir Singh, a farmer from Gurdaspur; Sukhpreet Singh, a truck driver also from Gurdaspur; Yameen Mohd from Malerkotla, helped Danish in financial dealings and visa-related activities; Mohammad Murtaza Ali was arrested from Punjab’s Jalandhar for allegedly spying for ISI as he allegedly carried out espionage activities through a mobile app developed by himself. Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih residents of Ajnala in Amritsar were arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information related to army air-bases to ISI. The accused also include Raqeeb Khan, a resident of Roorkee in Uttarakhand, who had been working as a tailor at a shop inside Bathinda Cantonment for the past two years.
While in Haryana the victims of the spy-web include Nauman Ilahi, a security guard from Panipat, Mohammad Tarif, a civilian from Nuh who had previously visited the Pakistan High Commission, and Armaan was arrested from Nuh for allegedly sharing sensitive information about the Indian Army and military activities with an employee at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi.
Police officials associated with the investigation revealed that more arrests could take place in the next couple of days, as over 100 more people from both states were on the radar of the security agencies as their antecedents were being verified for suspected links to the arrested individuals.
The arrests have prompted strong reactions from top law enforcement officials. Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said there would be no leniency for individuals collaborating with the enemy state.
Following strict directions from Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini for strict action against those found involved in anti-national activities, Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapoor said that the legal consequences would be “swift and uncompromising”.
Internal reports suggest that tighter scrutiny is also anticipated for visa applicants travelling to Pakistan, especially influencers, pilgrims and students. However, security experts have raised concerns about the effectiveness of current intelligence measures, emphasizing the urgent need for improved and regular coordination between the Central and state intelligence agencies to address the growing demand for a comprehensive intelligence overhaul.