New Delhi: Indian intelligence agencies are systematically dismantling a sophisticated network of alleged spies, with recent arrests in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana pointing to a persistent Pakistani intelligence presence within the country. These developments show a deepening mistrust, particularly in the aftermath of recent military confrontations and terror attacks.
In the latest breakthrough, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in Rajasthan arrested a man identified as Qasim in the Bharatpur district. He stands accused of providing sensitive intelligence information to Pakistan.
Investigations have revealed that Qasim had recently visited the neighbouring country and notably married a Pakistani woman, maintaining contact with her during India’s ‘Operation Sindoor.’
This arrest follows closely on the heels of other significant busts. Just days prior, the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) detained Sahdevsinh Gohil, a contractual health worker in the border district of Kutch. Gohil allegedly shared crucial information about military establishments with a Pakistani operative who masqueraded as ‘Aditi Bharadwaj.’
Similarly, on May 17, Jyoti Malhotra, an influencer from Haryana, was taken into custody for allegedly sharing sensitive data with a Pakistani intelligence handler who had groomed her as an “asset” for Islamabad. Police indicate Malhotra remained in contact with the operative even during the intense four-day military engagement earlier this month.
These espionage activities are unfolding against a backdrop of severely strained India-Pakistan relations. Tensions plummeted after the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which tragically claimed the lives of 26 people in the meadows of Baisaran in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
India retaliated with ‘Operation Sindoor’ on the intervening night of May 7 and 8, “successfully destroying multiple terror targets and eliminating over 100 terrorists sheltered in Pakistan” and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
