In the last two weeks, 12 people from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI. These include Sukhpreet Singh and Karanvir Singh from Gurdaspur in Punjab, Guzala and Yamin Mohammad from Malerkotla, and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra from Hisar in Haryana, among others. According to the police, these people were sharing sensitive military information, such as Operation Sindoor and activities in border areas, with Pakistan. Some of them sent information through WhatsApp and social media, for which they received money.
Punjab Police and central intelligence agencies claim that they have succeeded in breaking this espionage network in a joint operation. Sukhpreet and Karanvir were arrested in Gurdaspur on May 15, from whom 3 mobile phones and 8 live cartridges were recovered. Jyoti Malhotra, Devendra Singh, Tareef, Armaan and Noman Elahi were also arrested in Haryana. The police have started investigating their mobiles, laptops and financial transactions. DIG Satinder Singh said that the action is going on based on reliable information and more revelations may come to light.
Denial and questions from families
The families of the arrested persons have rejected the charges. Sukhpreet’s father Gurmeet Singh and mother Narinder Kaur said that their 19-year-old son belongs to a poor family and has never gone near the border. They are suspicious of the police action and have demanded justice.
Sukhpreet’s family says that they do not know anything, along with this, the family has also said that no money has come into their son’s account and neither have any documents been found with him nor any weapons.
The father says that Sukhpreet works with them after his studies. The family has an elder daughter, who is married and has two sons. Sukhpreet is the youngest.
On the other hand, Sukhpreet’s mother Narinder Kaur says, “We don’t even know what is happening to us. He has been going to work with his father. We don’t even know where the other boy is from.” “They have taken our sleeping son away. When I stopped him, he pushed me back. He didn’t tell us anything. We didn’t know where he was going.”
Similarly, Jyoti Malhotra’s father Harish Kumar said that Jyoti Malhotra is a travel vlogger. Her YouTube channel is called ‘Travel with Joe’. She has shared her travelogues of many different countries on her YouTube channel. Her daughter had visited Pakistan with government permission. Travel blogger and YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra from Hisar, Haryana has also been arrested on charges of espionage.
On the other hand, Hisar Police has revealed that Jyoti has been earning more than her income. She was living a luxurious life. Hisar SP Shashank Kumar Sawan, while informing the media recently, said that Pakistan was preparing to make Jyoti an asset, which would provide India’s intelligence. Enemy countries are targeting such young influencers and for money, young people also take the wrong path. The Superintendent of Police said that before the attack in Jammu and Kashmir, Jyoti had gone to Jammu and Kashmir and also to Pakistan. “SP Shashank Kumar Sawan said that an investigation is being conducted to see if their travels are related to the attack or not. The SP also said that so far no information has been received about Jyoti having any intelligence information, but Hisar is a strategically important place, so it is being investigated as to what intelligence information Jyoti had shared with the Pakistani authorities.
Noman Elahi’s sister also said that she does not know anything about her brother’s activities. Apart from this Harkirat Singh, an employee of the Haryana Gurdwara Management Committee, was also questioned on suspicion of sharing confidential information with Pakistan.
However, he was released after questioning due to lack of evidence. Harkirat, who belongs to Kurukshetra, used to handle visa work for pilgrims going to Pakistan to visit Nankana Sahib on behalf of the Haryana Gurdwara Management Committee.
Why are people worried?
These arrests have created concern among the locals. Many are raising questions as to whether all the arrested persons were really involved in espionage or some innocent people have also been targeted. People like Sukhpreet’s family say that such actions can spread panic among the common people. However, the police and intelligence agencies are claiming that the investigation is being carried out completely transparently and thoroughly.
Haryana Police SP Shashank Kumar Sawan said that influencers like Jyoti Malhotra are being targeted, which is a threat to national security.
It is yet to be decided whether the arrested persons are right or wrong. Difficult as the investigation is ongoing. The police have mobile phone, financial transactions and social media evidence, a clear picture of which will emerge only after forensic examination.
In the case of individuals like Sukhpreet and Karanvir, the police have confirmed direct contact with the ISI, but the denials of the families have also raised questions. Such arrests can create anxiety and uncertainty among the locals, especially when the families claim that their relatives are innocent. DGP Gaurav Yadav and Haryana SP Shashank Kumar Sawan have made it clear that the investigation is transparent and comprehensive, leading to more important revelationsAre possible.
