12 arrested in Punjab, Haryana and UP for alleged spying for Pakistan; YouTuber among accused

New Delhi: At least 12 people have been arrested over the past two weeks from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on charges of spying for Pakistan, officials said. Those arrested are allegedly part of a Pakistan-linked espionage network operating across north India.

Of the 12, six were arrested from Punjab and four from neighbouring Haryana. Among the accused are two women, including a YouTuber from Haryana, who were allegedly in contact with Ahsan-your-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. He was expelled from India on May 13 for alleged involvement in espionage.

Police officials said preliminary investigations suggest the accused were passing on sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives (PIOs). A forensic analysis of their financial transactions and electronic devices is currently underway.

On May 4, the Punjab Police arrested Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih from Ajnala for allegedly leaking sensitive details and photographs of army cantonment areas and airports in the border district to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The two were reportedly gathering and transmitting vital information related to army movements, BSF camp locations, and other security infrastructure to their handlers in Pakistan, police said.