Punjab man held for sharing sensitive info with Pakistan during Op Sindoor

A man from Tarn Taran district in Punjab was detained for supposedly transmitting sensitive details concerning the army’s maneuvers during Operation Sindoor to Pakistani intelligence agents, a senior police official stated on Tuesday. Authorities also found a mobile device holding details that he transmitted to the Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs).

The suspect reportedly had interactions with Pakistan’s intelligence organization, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and also received funds for relaying confidential information, the police stated. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav mentioned that the suspect has been recognized as Gagandeep Singh, also known as Gagan, who lives in Mohalla Rodupur, Gali Nazar Singh Wali, in TarnTaran.

He was apprehended during a collaborative operation between the Tarn Taran police and the police’s Counter Intelligence unit.

“Arrested accused had been in contact with the #Pakistan #ISI and (Pakistan based Khalistani supporter) Gopal Singh Chawla, sharing sensitive information concerning army movements during #OperationSindoor,” the DGP said in a post on X.

Investigations said the accused was engaged in sharing classified details, including troop deployments and strategic locations, posing a threat to national security.

Gagandeep had been communicating with Khalistani supporter Gopal Singh Chawla for the last five years, via whom he was introduced to the PIOs, Yadav stated. He said he recovered a mobile phone that had intelligence he shared with the PIOs, along with information on more than 20 ISI contacts.

Comprehensive financial and technical probes are in progress to identify additional connections and determine the complete extent of this espionage network, the DGP noted. An FIR has been filed under the Official Secrets Act at Police Station City, Tarn Taran, and further inquiries are ongoing, he mentioned.

Punjab Police is dedicated to protecting the nation’s sovereignty and integrity and will undertake all necessary measures against individuals engaged in anti-national activities, he stated. As part of Operation Sindoor, Indian military forces executed pre-dawn missile assaults on May 7, targeting nine terrorist locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which included the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba base in Muridke, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in 26 fatalities.