Central intelligence agencies have uncovered a major espionage case involving Moti Ram Jat, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Jat was arrested on May 27 in Delhi by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which was handed the case after preliminary findings indicated that he was allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistani handlers, according to a Indian Express report.
Jat had been serving with a CRPF battalion in Pahalgam before being transferred to Delhi, just five days prior to the April 22 terror attack in which 26 civilians lost their lives. Investigators believe his role in leaking classified material could have compromised security operations in sensitive areas.
What the investigation revealed?
According to intelligence sources, Jat was not the only individual in contact with Pakistani intelligence. Technical surveillance revealed that the handler, codenamed Salim Ahmed, maintained links with at least 15 other Indian phone numbers. These included four belonging to Army personnel, four more linked to other paramilitary forces, and seven connected with Central Government staffers.
Authorities are currently combing through call detail records and internet protocol logs to determine the extent of the breach. Officials caution that the scope of the espionage may stretch well beyond Jat’s individual involvement.
How the Pak espionage network operated?
Investigations revealed that the SIM card used to contact Jat was procured in Kolkata by a man who had close ties to Pakistan. The individual had married a Pakistani national in 2007 and moved permanently to Pakistan in 2014. Despite shifting abroad, he frequently travelled to Kolkata, reportedly to assist in maintaining cross-border links.
Funds paid to Jat for sharing documents were deposited across multiple Indian states, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Assam and West Bengal. Payments were relatively modest up to Rs 12,000 at a time but consistent, suggesting a carefully disguised channel of remuneration designed to avoid immediate detection.
Role of Shahzad and other handlers
One of the fund providers, identified as Shahzad, was arrested in May by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). He is accused of passing classified information to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) while also engaging in cross-border smuggling of goods such as clothes, spices and cosmetics.
Shahzad allegedly transferred Rs 3,500 to Jat on the instructions of a co-passenger on a Punjab–Delhi train. He later claimed he had been asked to carry out the transaction as a favour, and was given equivalent cash for the purpose.
Honeytrap and modus operandi
Investigators say Jat first came into contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives through what appears to have been a honeytrap scheme. He was initially approached by a woman posing as a journalist for a Chandigarh-based television channel. The exchanges reportedly included phone and video calls, through which trust was cultivated before Jat began supplying her with documents.
After some months, a male operative, allegedly a Pakistani official, took over the interaction, continuing the pretence of being a fellow journalist. Under this guise, Jat allegedly shared multiple classified documents, including details of troop movements, reports from multi-agency centres posted on official WhatsApp groups, and updates on counter-terror operations.
The case has raised alarm within India’s security establishment. That a serving CRPF officer allegedly passed on sensitive operational data in exchange for modest sums has underlined the risks posed by infiltration attempts through financial inducements, social engineering and honeytraps.
Central agencies continue to investigate the wider network of individuals in contact with Salim Ahmed. The possibility of further arrests remains high as call records and financial trails are examined in detail.