Punjab man arrested for spying during Operation Sindoor, leaked Army details to Pakistan’s ISI

Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested Gagandeep Singh, alias Gagan, from Mohalla Rodupur in Tarn Taran district for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He is accused of leaking sensitive Indian Army movement and deployment details during Operation Sindoor — India’s military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, Singh had been in contact with Pakistan-based Khalistani extremist Gopal Singh Chawla for the past five years. Through Chawla, he was introduced to Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs). “Arrested accused had been in contact with the Pakistan ISI and Gopal Singh Chawla, sharing sensitive information concerning army movements during Operation Sindoor,” DGP Yadav posted on X.

Police recovered a mobile phone from Singh, which reportedly contains intelligence data and details of over 20 ISI-linked contacts. Preliminary investigation revealed that he had shared information on troop deployments and strategic locations. The police also found that Singh had received payments from PIOs through Indian financial channels.

An FIR under the Official Secrets Act has been registered at PS City, Tarn Taran. The arrest was carried out in a joint operation by Tarn Taran Police and Counter-Intelligence Punjab. DGP Yadav said that financial and technical investigations are ongoing to uncover other linkages and determine the full extent of the espionage network.

Singh's arrest is part of a broader security operation following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed by Pakistan-based terrorists. In the last two weeks, more than a dozen people have been arrested across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, including two women and a CRPF personnel, for alleged involvement in leaking classified information.