Another Mewat lawyer held in Pak spy-funding case

The Pakistani espionage and terror funding case being probed across Haryana and Punjab widened further on Thursday with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) making its seventh arrest, this time of a Mewat-based lawyer who investigators say was closely linked to the core operators of the network.

The accused, Nayub, a resident of Bhangwo village in Tauru subdivision, had been in police custody for questioning over the past three days. After sustained interrogation, the SIT formally arrested him and is preparing to produce him in court to seek police remand.

According to investigators, Nayub was a close associate of Rizwan, the alleged main conduit in the hawala and terror-funding channel. Rizwan, also a lawyer from Mewat, was arrested earlier this year from Kharkhari village. The two practised law together in the Gurugram courts and allegedly worked as a team to route funds, travel for coordination and maintain communication links. SIT sources say both had travelled to Punjab multiple times and their trips were being scrutinised for their relevance to the larger espionage trail.

With this arrest, seven people have been held so far in the case — five from Punjab (Jalandhar and Amritsar) and two lawyers from Mewat.

This also marks the fourth arrest from Mewat in 2025 on charges linked to Pakistani espionage and funding networks, deepening concern in the region over recurring links to cross-border handlers.

Earlier this year, the SIT arrested Tarif from Kangarka village in Tauru, followed by Armaan from Rajaka village in the Nagina area. Later, lawyer Rizwan was taken into custody in the same terror-funding and hawala case. Now, with lawyer Nayub also arrested, the ongoing investigation has brought the entire belt under national scrutiny.

Police officials say the probe remains active and far from its final stage. The SIT believes the financial and operational layers of the module are still being uncovered and that more leads are emerging with each round of interrogation. Investigators maintain that “more shocking revelations may surface” during the remand period of the accused.