Chandigarh: In a significant counter-espionage breakthrough, Punjab Police have apprehended a man with deep-rooted links to Pakistan’s spy agency ISI and notorious Khalistani separatist Gopal Singh Chawla, according to media reports.
The accused, Gagandeep Singh, is alleged to have transmitted highly sensitive military information — including troop deployments, strategic infrastructure, and details of a covert operation codenamed Operation Sindoor — to Pakistani intelligence handlers. Authorities said his actions posed a “grave threat” to national security.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav confirmed that Singh had maintained contact with Gopal Singh Chawla, a pro-Khalistan figure based in Pakistan, for the past five years. Through Chawla, he was introduced to multiple Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) and reportedly received payments via domestic financial channels.
Forensic analysis of Singh’s seized mobile phone revealed a trove of incriminating data and communication records with more than 20 ISI-linked contacts, police sources told India Today.
This arrest follows heightened surveillance after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which triggered an aggressive crackdown on suspected espionage cells operating across northern India.
As part of the ongoing investigation, security agencies have detained at least 12 suspects across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, believed to be part of a sprawling espionage ring with links to Pakistan.
Among those arrested are two women with a strong social media presence.
One, Jyoti Malhotra from Haryana, had amassed over 377,000 YouTube subscribers and 133,000 Instagram followers. The other, identified as Guzala, a 31-year-old from Punjab, was also taken into custody.
Both women are believed to have been in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim, also known as Danish, a Pakistani intelligence officer who previously served at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. Rahim has since been expelled from India.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is leading the probe and is expected to make further arrests as the espionage network is dismantled piece by piece.
