New Delhi: The Punjab Police Tuesday said they have arrested a man from Punjab’s Tarn Taran who was allegedly in contact with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and a Pakistan-based supporter of Sikh separatism named Gopal Singh Chawla.
The accused has been identified as Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan. Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said that Singh was arrested on the basis of information received by the Counter-Intelligence unit of Punjab Police. He has been booked under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
“Gagandeep Singh had been in contact with the Pakistan ISI and Gopal Singh Chawla, sharing sensitive information concerning army movements during Operation Sindoor,” DGP Yadav said to the media.
Investigation has revealed that Singh was allegedly involved in sharing classified information, including details like troop deployments and strategic locations, posing a threat to national security.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that Gagandeep Singh had been in touch with Pakistan-based Khalistani supporter Gopal Singh Chawla for the past 5 years, through whom he was introduced to the Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs). He also received payments from the PIOs,” DGP Punjab added.
The police have said that they have recovered a mobile phone containing intelligence that Singh allegedly shared with the PIOs. It also allegedly contains 20 ISI contacts.
“Thorough financial and technical investigations are underway to trace other linkages and establish the full scope of this espionage network,” the DGP said.
Speaking to the media Tuesday, SSP Abhimanyu Rana said Chawla was Singh’s handler and that the investigation had found money was transferred to his account from a foreign country 7–8 times in the past. He added that Singh was addicted to drugs, and police are probing his possible involvement in cross-border drug consignments.
This is the latest in a slew of arrests made following the India-Pakistan conflict and India’s Operation Sindoor.
Over the past few weeks, several individuals have been arrested over allegations of espionage across India. While some have been booked under the Official Secrets Act, others face charges related to threatening India’s sovereignty. Earlier last month, a social media influencer from Haryana, Jyoti Malhotra, was also arrested.
Meanwhile, two Pakistan embassy staffers were declared persona non grata by India and ousted for indulging in espionage activities. According to investigators, these staffers had been running spy syndicates recruiting Indians to provide them with intelligence.
A CRPF personnel who was earlier posted in Pahalgam that witnessed a terror attack on 22 April, where 25 tourists and one local was killed, is in National Investigation Agency’s custody.
The Delhi Police Special Cell has also launched a crackdown on such rackets. The anti-terror unit has arrested two brothers from Rajasthan’s Deeg for allegedly providing SIM cards to PIOs. These SIMs were reportedly used in an attempt to honey trap DRDO officials, with the brothers also receiving training to gather intelligence.
This is an updated version of the report.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)