ibn sultan
SRINAGAR: The Punjab Police’s State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) has arrested a serving Indian Army soldier on charges of leaking classified military information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The arrest, which reportedly took place on July 14 in the border town of Uri in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, is being seen as part of a wider crackdown on espionage networks targeting India’s defence infrastructure, India Today reported.
According to a statement issued by the Punjab Police, the accused has been identified as Devinder Singh, a resident of Nihalgarh village in Sangrur district of Punjab. Singh’s arrest was made following revelations from the interrogation of an ex-Army man, Gurpreet Singh, also known by his aliases Guri and Fauji, who is currently in custody in a case related to espionage.
Investigators revealed that while Gurpreet Singh was lodged in Ferozepur Jail, he shared information implicating Devinder Singh in obtaining sensitive military documents. Acting on this lead, the Punjab Police tracked down Devinder and detained him from Uri.
Following the arrest, Devinder Singh was produced before a court in Mohali on July 15, which granted a six-day police remand for further questioning.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Devinder and Gurpreet first met in 2017 during a training programme at an Army camp in Pune. They are believed to have stayed in contact over the years and even served together during postings in Sikkim and Jammu and Kashmir. During their tenure, both reportedly had access to confidential military information, some of which was allegedly leaked to external operatives, including Pakistan’s ISI.
While Gurpreet’s role in the espionage ring is already under active investigation, authorities said Devinder Singh’s precise involvement and the extent of the data breach are still being assessed.
Officials have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests as the probe into the espionage network deepens, according to the India Today report.(Agencies)
