Punjab: Patiala man held on espionage charges

He was charged under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act.

Patiala police on Wednesday arrested Gurpreet Singh, a resident of the Bhadson area in Nabha block, for allegedly sharing sensitive information related to the Indian Army with a Pakistani national. The accused has been booked for espionage.

Was sharing sensitive army information with a Pak national: Police

Addressing a press conference, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Varun Sharma said the accused, who was involved in espionage activities, had been passing on critical details to a Pakistan-based handler for over a year. He was charged under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act.

“We have found that Gurpreet was sharing photos and location details of the Army cantonment area with a Pakistani national. Four mobile phones have been recovered from his possession,” said the SSP.

According to the police, Gurpreet had been “honeytrapped” on social media. He allegedly provided an Indian mobile number to a Pakistan-based handler by sharing a WhatsApp activation code. “The accused had been passing on sensitive information for more than a year. Our investigation is ongoing to determine whether anyone inside the Army cantonment was involved in assisting him,” the SSP added.

However, Gurpreet’s family has denied the allegations. His father Jarnail Singh claimed that his son is innocent and that his WhatsApp number might have been hacked.