New Delhi: In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor, Indian counter-intelligence agencies have intensified surveillance across the country. Over the past month, at least 15 individuals across Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Punjab have been arrested or detained for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). These individuals — ranging from engineers and health workers to students and YouTubers — have been found to be part of a sprawling, decentralized espionage network, either lured by money or manipulated through social engineering tactics like honeytraps.
Among the most concerning cases is that of Moti Ram Jat, a CRPF personnel arrested in Delhi for leaking operational information to Pakistani intelligence since 2023. His suspicious social media activity led to his dismissal and arrest by the National Investigation Agency. In Mumbai, 27-year-old engineer Ravindra Verma, employed at a defence firm, was honey-trapped via Facebook by Pakistani operatives posing as Indian women. Despite knowing the handlers’ identities, Verma allegedly sketched naval assets from memory and shared confidential information in exchange for money. In Haryana, popular travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra was arrested after repeated contact with ISI officials in Delhi and Pakistan. Forensic examination of her devices revealed 12 terabytes of sensitive data, and she was previously seen in Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar flanked by armed men. Her trial begins in June.
Other significant arrests include Sahdev Singh Gohil, a health worker from Gujarat, who was caught sharing videos and images of IAF and BSF installations with a Pakistani handler. Gohil had been communicating with the handler — posing as “Aditi Bharadwaj” — since 2023 and reportedly received ₹40,000 for his assistance. In Haryana, a wave of arrests exposed a network targeting young men in vulnerable economic conditions. Political science student Davender Singh Dhillon, security guard Nauman Ilahi, and Nuh district residents Arman and Tarif were all apprehended for espionage activities involving firearm images, cross-border money transfers, and secret communications with Pakistani contacts.
The case of Shakur Khan, a Rajasthan government employee, raised further alarm due to his past ties with a state minister and multiple visits to Pakistan. Authorities are investigating the political and financial nature of his connections. Meanwhile, Kasim, a resident of Deeg, Rajasthan, was arrested for supplying Indian SIM cards to ISI operatives and had travelled to Pakistan twice in recent months. In Jalandhar, Mohammad Murtaza Ali, a tech developer, was found using a custom mobile application to transmit military-related data to foreign agents. He was caught with multiple phones and SIM cards.
Other notable arrests include Shahzad, a businessman from Rampur, who allegedly engaged in smuggling and spying during trips to Pakistan, and two individuals from Punjab — Gazala and Yamin Mohammad — who remain under investigation for suspected espionage.
These incidents come amid heightened security and intelligence activity following Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives. With increased monitoring across border states, financial records, digital communications, and travel histories are now being scrutinized to uncover further ISI-linked activities. As counter-intelligence efforts intensify, these arrests expose the alarming ease with which foreign agents have infiltrated Indian society by exploiting personal, economic, and technological vulnerabilities.
