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Ferozepur man arrested by Rajasthan cops for spying for ISI
As many as six people have been arrested since March for their alleged espionage activities in bordering Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Alwar districts
Rajasthan’s CID (Intelligence) has arrested a Punjab resident for allegedly collecting classified information related to the Indian Army and passing it to a Pakistani handler, officials said on Monday.
Prakash Singh alias Badal, a resident of Ferozepur, was detained near a military establishment in the Sriganganagar district and later arrested under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, they said.
As many as six people have been arrested since March for their alleged espionage activities in bordering Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Alwar districts.
Inspector General (Intelligence) Prafful Kumar informed that the CID had been monitoring suspected espionage activity linked to Pakistani intelligence agencies when Singh came under the scanner. “During surveillance, it emerged that Prakash Singh was in contact with Pakistan’s ISI through social media,” he added.
“He was gathering sensitive information linked to the army in Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat and sending it to a Pakistani handler,” Kumar said. He said Badal, 34, was spotted near the Sadulwali military station in Ganganagar on November 27. A border intelligence team picked him up, and a preliminary check of his mobile phone showed active communication with foreign and Pakistani WhatsApp numbers.
“The accused had been in touch with the ISI since the period of Operation Sindoor and had allegedly shared details about Army vehicles, military installations, border-area geography, bridges, railway lines and ongoing construction activities,” the officer added.
The CID also found that Badal was allegedly involved in facilitating the creation of Indian WhatsApp accounts for Pakistani handlers. He allegedly procured OTPs issued on Indian mobile numbers, which were then used by Pakistan-based operatives to activate WhatsApp accounts for espionage and other anti-national activities, officials said, adding that he received money for this.
After extensive questioning at the central interrogation centre in Jaipur and technical analysis of his devices, the allegations were confirmed, the department said. Further investigation is underway.
