YouTuber, student and security guard: 12 arrested from Punjab, Haryana and UP for spying for Pakistan

At least 12 persons, including a YouTuber, have been nabbed on the charges of spying for Pakistan in the past two weeks from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh with investigations pointing out that they were allegedly part of a Pakistan-linked espionage network operating in north India, police said.

While six of them have been held from Punjab, four were nabbed from neighbouring Haryana.

Among those arrested, two women, including the YouTuber from Haryana, were allegedly in touch with Pakistani officer Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. On May 13, India expelled the Pakistani official for allegedly indulging in espionage.

In addition to the arrests made from Punjab and Haryana, an alleged agent of Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Rampur on Sunday by the state's Special Task Force.

Details of the arrested accused are as follows:

Jyoti Malhotra (Hisar, Haryana)

A travel vlogger with a YouTube channel called Travel with JO.

Police say she shared military information with Pakistan and had visited the country twice.

She was reportedly in contact with an official of the Pakistan High Commission.

Devender Singh Dhillon (Kaithal, Haryana)

A 25-year-old college student from Khalsa College, Patiala, was arrested in Kaithal, Haryana.

He allegedly uploaded photos on social media with weapons.

During questioning, police found he had visited Pakistan and shared photos of an Army cantonment.

Nauman Ilahi (Uttar Pradesh, arrested from Panipat, Haryana)

Worked as a security guard.

Police say he gave information to a Pakistani spy and received money through his brother-in-law.

Armaan (Nuh, Haryana)

Arrested for sharing information related to Army, other military activities with Pakistan through an employee posted at High Commission of Pakistan in Delhi.

Mohammad Tarif (Nuh)

Nuh Police, in a joint operation with a central agency, arrested the local quack for allegedly spying for Pakistan.

Shahzad (Rampur, UP)

A businessman arrested by the Special Task Force.

He had visited Pakistan many times and is also accused of smuggling goods.

Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih (Ajnala, Amritsar)

Arrested for their alleged role in leaking sensitive information and photographs of Army cantonment areas and air bases in the border district to ISI.

Guzala and Yameen Mohammad (Malerkotla, Punjab)

Arrested for alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to Pakistani official posted at High Commission in Delhi.

Sukhpreet Singh and Karanbir Singh (Punjab)

Arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive military information with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI. — with PTI