New Delhi, Jun 1: In a stunning revelation that points to a deep-rooted espionage network, the arrest of CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Motiram Jat has blown the lid off what sources say is a Pakistan-sponsored intelligence operation aimed at compromising India’s national security.

According to senior officials familiar with the investigation, Jat’s arrest on May 26 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) triggered a sweeping nationwide crackdown across eight Indian states on Saturday. Sources told IANS that the arrested ASI was allegedly in contact with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) and had been leaking sensitive information related to Indian security establishments since 2023.

His arrest came just days after he was transferred out of Pahalgam, a strategically sensitive region, and notably, just five days before a terrorist attack occurred in the area. “Motiram Jat’s suspicious activity raised major red flags. His transfer before the Pahalgam attack and links to foreign operatives are being thoroughly scrutinised,” sources said.

Based on intelligence gathered during his interrogation, the NIA launched simultaneous searches at 15 locations across Delhi, Maharashtra (Mumbai), Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and West Bengal. The searches were conducted at the premises of individuals believed to be financial conduits and operatives working under the instructions of Pakistan-based handlers.

According to officials, the raids led to the seizure of multiple electronic gadgets, sensitive financial documents, and other incriminating materials, which are now being forensically examined for further leads. The NIA has registered the case under Sections 61(2), 147, 148 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.

Sources confirmed that funds in this network were allegedly routed through hawala operators and shell entities, to obscure their origins and finance the transmission of classified information. “This wasn’t an isolated act of betrayal.

The financial and digital trail suggests an organised racket,” a top counterintelligence officer said. Officials believe that more arrests are likely as the agency continues to piece together the structure of this cross-border espionage ring, which allegedly exploited both cyber tools and internal weaknesses to pass on strategic intelligence.

The NIA emphasised that the operation reflects the agency’s zero-tolerance stance against internal threats and foreign-sponsored subversion. “This is a clear attempt to infiltrate and destabilise from within,” an official said. Jat, according to sources, provided key details to intelligence officials from Pakistan who had posed as journalists and interacted with him.

It has also been learned from sources that a woman, who posed as a journalist working for an Indian media outlet, had approached Jat. He allegedly shared classified documents with the woman and after a few months, another person (a man) also began having conversations with Jat.

The man introduced himself as the 'colleague' of the 'woman journalist', according to sources.

(IANS)

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