Palwal man held for sharing info with Pak High Commission

Palwal police have arrested a man accused of spying for Pakistan and sending confidential information about Indian military activities to officials at the Pakistan High Commission.

The accused, Taufiq (35), a resident of Alimev village in Hathin block of Palwal, was arrested after intelligence inputs. Police said he had been in touch with officials linked to the ISI since 2022 and was allegedly sharing details via WhatsApp.

According to investigators, Taufiq’s connections with Pakistan began after visiting his wife’s relatives there in 2022, where he came into contact with an employee of the Pakistani embassy. “He started communicating with the official on WhatsApp and passed on confidential information about Indian military activities,” a senior officer said.

Police said incriminating evidence has been recovered from his mobile phone. He had also allegedly provided information about the family of a BSF jawan living in the Hathin area.

Investigators revealed that Taufiq also worked as a local fixer, arranging visas for people to Pakistan in return for money. “To secure visas, he took help from a Pakistani High Commission officer and, in return, supplied intelligence. He charged between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 for each visa,” the officer added.

His background shows that Taufiq’s father, Nisar, served as an officer in the Haryana Tourism Department. For several years, Taufiq had been helping people with documents such as passports and licences at the Hathin Mini Secretariat. His wife, originally from Rajasthan, has relatives in Pakistan.

SP Palwal Varun Singla confirmed the arrest, saying: “We have arrested the accused Taufiq, who was in touch with ISI and the Pakistani High Commission. An FIR has been registered against him under the Official Secrets Act and sedition charges. He has been remanded in five-day police custody. The entire network of the accused is being scanned.”

Police are examining his bank accounts, WhatsApp chats and Pakistani contacts to ascertain how much information he shared over the past three years.