E-Paper
Rajasthan government employee held over suspicion of ‘spying’ for Pakistan
The detainee, identified as Shakur Khan, reportedly had saved several Pakistan associated phone numbers on his mobile.
A Rajasthan state government employee, identified as Shakur Khan, was detained in Jaisalmer on Wednesday night for allegedly spying for Pakistan, officials said.
According to news agency PTI, Rajasthan's intelligence department team was acting on security-related inputs when it arrested Khan.
The suspicion of espionage for Pakistan on Khan arose when phone numbers related to Islamabad were found on his mobile phone, officials said. The detained individual works in the district employment office in Jaisalmer.
"There were inputs about Shakur Khan that he could be involved in spying for Pakistan. He was on surveillance following inputs and was detained last night," the officer said.
ALSO READ | YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, accused of spying for Pakistan, sent to judicial custody
Shakur Khan was on duty in the district administration's control room during Operation Sindoor, an India Today report said.
Khan was earlier working as a personal assistant to former minister Shale Mohammad under the Congress regime in Rajasthan. Both Mohammad and Khan hail from the same village, the report added.
Shakur Khan visited Pak 6-7 times
Following his detention, Khan was jointly interrogated in Jaisalmer. Later, the intelligence team left with him for Jaipur.
During questioning, Khan reportedly failed to explain the Pakistani-related numbers on his phone. He also admitted to having visited Islamabad 6-7 times in the past.
Officials said that so far, no military-related or sensitive information has been found on Khan's mobile phone. However, many posts were reportedly found deleted. Intelligence agencies are also probing Khan's financial records.
Central agencies will interrogate him in Jaipur on Thursday, news agency PTI reported.
This comes just days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a CRPF personnel for allegedly spying for Pakistan. The accused, Moti Ram Jat, was reportedly actively engaged in espionage activity and had been sharing classified information about national security with Pakistan intelligence officers (PIOs) since 2023.
ALSO READ | Spying case: Operation underway, many YouTube channels under scrutiny, says top Haryana officer
Officials said that Jat, employed as an assistant sub-inspector with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was receiving funds from the PIOs via several channels.
On Monday, the CRPF said that it dismissed Jat after he was found to have "acted in violation of established norms and protocols" of the central paramilitary force during monitoring of his social media activity.
“Upon preliminary assessment, the matter was deemed serious and has since been referred to the NIA for further inquiry. Concurrently, the individual has been dismissed from service with effect from 21.05.2025, under the relevant provisions of the Constitution of India read with the CRPF Rules,” said the statement.
Jat has been booked under sections 15 (pertaining to terror act), 16 (punishment for terror act), and 18 (punishment for conspiracy and related acts) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Previously, intelligence teams also began probing several YouTubers and YouTube channels over alleged links to a Pakistani spy network operating in India. Hisar-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra hit the headlines several times over her alleged visits to Pakistan and contacts with PIOs, including a former Pakistan high commission staffer.
The central intelligence agencies have ramped up surveillance against activities related to possible espionage for Pakistan across India. The move came against the backdrop of the recent tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours that followed the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack and the Indian armed forces' Operation Sindoor that was launched in response to the terror incident.
