After Haryana ‘Espionage’ Arrests, 7 Held In Assam For Helping Pakistanis Use Indian Numbers For Anti-National Acts
In a major breakthrough following espionage-related arrests in Haryana, the Assam Police have arrested seven individuals for allegedly facilitating Pakistani nationals in using Indian WhatsApp numbers by sharing One-Time Passwords (OTPs). The arrests were made under a coordinated operation launched by the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police.
Assam Director General of Police Harmeet Singh told reporters that the investigation was initiated based on intelligence inputs provided by Gajraj Military Intelligence. “We got the first input from Gajraj Military Intelligence that they had stumbled on a number of people who were sending OTPs to people in Pakistan to be used to set up accounts with Indian WhatsApp numbers,” said Singh, as per news agency ANI.
He further added, “Technical analysis was done for the past many days, and on the 14th, the case was registered in the STF, and #OperationGhostSIM was launched. As part of that operation, teams were sent across to Hyderabad, Rajasthan… and since the 16th afternoon, seven people have been arrested, some in Bharatpur and Alwar… one on Guwahati airport… These SIM cards were used not only for cyber but also for anti-national activities. And in this case, there seems to be clear evidence that some of these numbers have been shared across and are being used by anti-national elements and inimical elements across to use WhatsApp accounts that look as if they are India-based.”
4 Arrested In Haryana For ‘Spying’ For Pakistan
Meanwhile, a separate case of espionage linked to Pakistan has surfaced in Haryana. According to IANS, a man named Arman was arrested in Nuh district for allegedly sending sensitive military information to Pakistan through WhatsApp. Authorities recovered photos from the Defence Expo 2025 and messages with Pakistani contacts from his phone. He has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and sections related to treason.
In another development, a Haryana-based YouTuber, Jyoti Malhotra, who runs the channel Travel with JO, was arrested from Hisar’s New Aggarsain Extension. She has been charged under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. She was remanded to five-day police custody, news agency PTI reported.
Police allege that Malhotra was in contact with a Pakistani staffer at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, who was expelled by India on May 13 for espionage activities. According to the FIR filed at Civil Lines Police Station on May 16, Malhotra first met the official, Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, in 2023 while seeking a visa to Pakistan. She later travelled to Pakistan twice, where she met Danish’s associate Ali Ahwan, who arranged her meetings with Pakistani intelligence officials including individuals identified as Shakir and Rana Shahbaz. She had reportedly saved Shahbaz’s number under the alias ‘Jatt Randhawa’ to avoid suspicion. The FIR also states that she used WhatsApp, Telegram, and Snapchat to pass on sensitive information.
Malhotra’s arrest came shortly after the detention of a 25-year-old post-graduate student, Devender Singh from Kaithal’s Guhla area, on similar charges. He was arrested after uploading photos with weapons on social media and was alleged to have links with Pakistani intelligence operatives, PTI reported.
Additionally, a 24-year-old youth, Nauman Ilahi, was earlier arrested in Panipat for allegedly supplying sensitive information to individuals in Pakistan.
The spate of arrests points to a coordinated and widening network of espionage allegedly linked to Pakistan, with multiple individuals now under investigation.
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