In a series of high-profile raids, Indian state police forces have increased their vigilance on spying activities, arresting suspected spies for Pakistan and, in one case, China. At least 12 suspects have been detained in the past month in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu, and Bihar, revealing a web of clandestine operations allegedly coordinated by foreign intelligence agencies, led by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). These arrests, which occurred amid increased tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, reveal a lot about the new face of espionage, which employs a wide range of professionals from cobblers to YouTubers (Jyoti Malhotra). A thorough description of these arrests is provided below, arranged in reverse chronological order and including the names of the suspects, the dates of their arrests, and the states in which they were taken into custody.
May 18, 2025: Jyoti Malhotra (Haryana)
Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old travel blogger and YouTube vlogger who runs the “Travel with JO” channel,
was arrested in Hisar, Haryana, on suspicion of spying for Pakistan’s ISI. Malhotra, who is well-known for
her patriotic YouTube videos that were taken near military installations, is accused of giving Pakistani
handlers—such as Ehsan-ur-Rahim (also known as Danish), a Pakistan High Commission official in Delhi
who was expelled on May 13, 2025—sensitive information. Malhotra, with 3.77 lakh YouTube followers, is
believed to have travelled to Pakistan twice in 2023 and was envisioned as an asset of a long-term nature for ISI.
Her arrest, in terms of Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, has
raised eyebrows over social media misuse for spying. Officials are questioning her financial transactions and cyber trails to find additional connections.
May 17, 2025: Shahzad (Uttar Pradesh)
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended Shahzad, who resides in Rampur, on May 17,
2025, in Moradabad. Working as a fake smuggler of cosmetics, clothes, and spices along the India
Pakistan border, Shahzad reportedly was in the employ of the ISI, tipping off state secrets on national
security. His repeated journeys to ATS exposed that Pakistan for several Shahzad arranged for the travel of years were grounds for his arrest. Indian nationals to Pakistan for ISI assignments and provided Indian SIMs to operatives. He has been charged with the Official Secrets Act, and investigations are underway to trace his network.
May 16, 2025: Armaan (Haryana)
Armaan, aged 26 from Nuh in Haryana, was arrested on May 16, 2025, for allegedly passing sensitive details of Indian Army movements to Pakistan through an official at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. His cell phone held evidence in the form of incriminating videos, pictures, and messages, and thus charges under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Official Secrets Act were framed. Armaan’s arrest, part of a joint operation with a central agency, highlights the ISI’s use of local operatives for intelligence gathering during heightened bilateral tensions.
May 15, 2025: Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh (Punjab)
On May 15, 2025, Punjab Police arrested Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh in Gurdaspur for providing the ISI with top-secret information about Operation Sindoor, including troop movements and sensitive locations in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Forensic checking of their cell phones confirmed direct communication with ISI handlers, with Rs 1 lakh deposited in their accounts after the Pahalgam attack.
The police recovered eight live cartridges and three mobile phones and filed an FIR under the Official Secrets Act at the Dorangla Police Station. The involvement of the duo in smuggling drugs makes their case even more complicated.
May 15, 2025: Nauman Ilahi (Haryana)
Nauman Ilahi, a 24-year-old security guard from Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana, was detained in Haryana’s Panipat on May 15, 2025, on charges of handing over sensitive information to an ISI handler. Ilahi, who worked in a blanket factory, had visited Pakistan multiple times and received money from his brother-in-law’s bank account. He was arrested under the Official Secrets Act after raising suspicions due to his eight passports and cross-border connections. In order to find more contacts, authorities are also looking through his electronic devices.
May 12, 2025: Devendra Singh (Haryana)
On May 12, 2025, Devendra Singh, a 25-year-old political science postgraduate student at Khalsa College in Patiala, was taken into custody from Kaithal, Haryana, on suspicion of spying for the ISI. Singh allegedly
gave ISI agents pictures of the Patiala military cantonment after traveling via the Kartarpur Corridor to
Nankana Sahib in Pakistan in November 2023. His social media updates with firearms sparked criticism, and he has subsequently owned up to spilling sensitive information about Operation Sindoor. Haryana’s DGP has promised “maximum punishment” for espionage in such cases.
May 11, 2025: Jafar Hussain (Location Unspecified)
Details related to the arrest of Jafar Hussain on the 11th May 2025 still seem limited, with no specific state or charges listed in provided reports. Based on the scrutiny of other arrests, his addition to the counterintelligence sweep indicates some degree of collaboration in compromising files with agencies, probably Pakistan’s ISI. Further inquiries are required to determine his involvement.
May 4, 2025: Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih (Punjab)
As captured by dating May 4, 2025, Punjab Police has detained both Suraj Masih and Palak Sher Masih,
inhabitants of Ajnala, Amritsar, for purportedly sharing photographs and details relating to army cantoments and airbases with the ISI. The couple, harboring links with Harpreet Singh, in the Amritsar Central Jail, has been charged under the Official Secrets Act, Information Technology Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The duo has been placed in judicial custody while further accomplice investigations are underway.
May 1, 2025: Pathan Khan (Rajasthan)
After holding and questioning Jaisalmer resident Pathan Khan for a month, Rajasthan Intelligence formally
arrested him on May 1, 2025. Khan was charged with ISI spying and revealing confidential border information under the Official Secrets Act. His apprehension indicates Rajasthan’s proactive stance against international espionage.
April 29, 2025: Sunil Kumar (Jammu)
Sunil Kumar, a cobbler hailing from Bihar, was taken into custody on the account of espionage in Pakistan on April 29th, 2025, in Bhatindi, Jammu. Beginning from 2017, Kumar worked in Bathinda Cantonment which is part of the Indian Military. He supposedly transmitted confidential data about the Indian Military to a Pakistani National who, in his defense, was purportedly paying him. His arrest stems from the ambiguous conversations he had stored on his phone, which IP showed deep convoluted suspicions for peripheral figures.
April 2025 (Exact Date Unspecified): Chinese Spy (Bihar)
In Bihar’s Madhubani, close to the Indo-Nepal border, a Chinese spy was arrested in April 2025 and placed in judicial custody. Although specific details like the suspect’s name and the exact date of arrest are not public, the case captures China’s ambition in India’s border regions. There is only one espionage case in this set unrelated to Pakistan among this arrests.
Conclusion
These 12 people were arrested; they included YouTubers, students, security guards, cobblers, and smugglers. Their arrests demonstrate the ISI’s advanced recruitment tactics, which take advantage of cross-border travel, social media, and financial incentives. The seriousness of these breaches of national security is highlighted by the use of the Official Secrets Act in all cases. As investigations proceed, Indian authorities are demonstrating a strong response to foreign intelligence threats by stepping up surveillance and forensic analysis to take down these espionage networks.
