New Delhi: In a shocking case of alleged espionage, Panipat police have arrested Nauman Ilahi, a 24-year-old man, for reportedly leaking sensitive information to a Pakistan-based handler.
Ilahi is originally from Kairana in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district. He was employed as a security guard at a local industrial unit, as per Panipat police. He got the job reportedly through a security agency operator based in Prayagraj. He was staying in a colony with his sister, who is married and settled in Panipat. Reports said that Illahi came to Panipat four months ago to live with his sister.
He was arrested after his mobile phone indicated that he was in contact with the Pakistani handler via WhatsApp and other social media platforms, according to police. During questioning, it came to fore that he had connections with individuals in Pakistan, with whom he was sharing sensitive and important information, as per some reports.
An FIR was filed following the interrogation and evidence gathered. The FIR was lodged under Section 152 (act endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Industrial area police station in Panipat. Police have seized Ilahi’s mobile phone.
Police said he will be produced before a court and his police remand will be sought. The cops want to interrogate him further to extract more information from him.
A few days back, in Punjab, police detained two persons and named a Pakistan High Commission official in Delhi in an FIR. This forced India to expel the official. Pakistan responded by expelling an Indian envoy.
After Operation Sindoor, police have stepped up its vigil on suspicious elements. It was during their heightened vigil that they detected Illahi’s mobile phone because of its numbers linked to Pakistan.
