The Woman Who Betrayed India: Diplomat-Spy Madhuri Gupta's Fall From Grace

Long before YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's arrest for allegedly leaking military secrets to Pakistan, India had witnessed a similar betrayal. Fifteen years ago, another woman, from within the system, was caught at the centre of a shocking espionage scandal. Madhuri Gupta, a mid-level diplomat stationed in Islamabad, was accused of secretly serving the interests of Pakistan's notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

A Spy

It was early 2010, barely a year and a half after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, when word of a mole in India's High Commission in Islamabad travelled to then-Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Mathur. At a time when tensions between India and Pakistan were still simmering, another intelligence failure was a risk India couldn't afford.

The name that surfaced in the internal alerts was that of Madhuri Gupta, a Grade B Indian Foreign Service officer and Second Secretary (Press & Information) in Islamabad.

Known for her scholarship in Urdu and deep interest in Sufism and poetry, Gupta's profile hardly matched that of a double agent. But the trail of leaks told a different story.

When initial intelligence inputs "signalled" Gupta's suspicious activities, Rajiv Mathur informed Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief KC Verma and Home Secretary GK Pillai.

Despite concerns, the decision was made to extend surveillance for two more weeks. During this period, she was reportedly false-fed with planted information, which, when leaked, was traced back to her.

Gupta, unaware of the net closing in, was summoned to Delhi on the pretext of helping with media relations for the SAARC Summit to be held in Bhutan later that year. She arrived in the national capital on 21 April 2010, spent the night at her West Delhi residence, and reported to the MEA office the next morning.

There, at South Block, the Special Cell of Delhi Police, already tipped off, was called in. In minutes, Gupta, a Grade B Indian Foreign Service Officer, was taken into custody for leaking classified defence information to Pakistan's ISI.

The Arrest

She was arrested on April 22, 2010, under the Official Secrets Act. Reports quoting "official sources" named RK Sharma, R&AW Station Chief in Islamabad, as under investigation, effectively blowing his cover. He had operated under diplomatic cover as a counsellor.

As a 2012 Caravan article said, "Sharma's official cover in Islamabad had been blown by his own country, a move that seemed certain to damage R&AW operations in Pakistan and bring his assignment to a swift and ignominious end."

The Honeytrap

What made Madhuri Gupta fall? Investigators concluded she was a victim of a honeytrap. "They threw a young man at her and she got trapped," said investigating officer Pankaj Sood, speaking to The Caravan.

That young man was Jamshed, alias Jim, a Pakistani operative in his 30s, half her age, who had been tasked with seducing Gupta and extracting sensitive information.

Another handler, Mudassar Raza Rana, a batchmate of then Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik, coordinated the operation. They first contacted her through a woman journalist and won her trust by helping her locate a rare book by Maulana Masood Azhar, chief of terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Using a computer installed in her Islamabad residence and a Blackberry phone, Gupta reportedly stayed in constant touch with both men.

The probe also revealed that Gupta, infatuated with Jamshed, expressed desires to convert to Islam, marry him, and travel to Istanbul. Her correspondence often revolved around Sufism, Rumi, and Urdu, interests that Jamshed exploited.

Gupta had allegedly travelled to Jammu and Kashmir in March 2010 on Rana's instructions. There, she was believed to have attempted to procure the Annual Plan Report of the state and details about a proposed 310 MW hydro-electric power project.

According to the chargesheet, investigators retrieved around 73 emails exchanged via two email addresses allegedly created by the Pakistani agents for Gupta: **lastrao@gmail.com and **arao@gmail.com.

"She had blown the covers of all the Indian intelligence officials in Pakistan, disclosed biographical details for every employee at the High Commission, and also mentioned the existence of 'some secret routes to India'," said investigating officer Pankaj Sood.

Aftermath 

Madhuri Gupta was first charged in 2012 under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, which carried a maximum sentence of 14 years. Initially, she spent 21 months in Tihar Jail before securing bail. 

In 2018, a city court found her guilty and finally convicted her of spying for Pakistan. She lived in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, awaiting her trial and died in October 2021 at the age of 64. Her appeal against the conviction was pending in the Delhi High Court at the time of her death.

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