Man Held In Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer On Suspicion Of Spying For Pakistan’s ISI

Security agencies have taken a man into custody in Rajasthan’s border district of Jaisalmer on suspicion of spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, officials said on Monday.

He was detained

on Sunday, when a special security team reached the suspect’s residence in Nehdan village and took him away for questioning.

The suspect has been identified as Jhabararam Meghwal, who was running an e-Mitra service centre in the area. Officials said he had been operating the centre for around four years.

According to the investigators, he may have been in contact with a Pakistani woman who allegedly acted as a handler.

After being detained, Meghwal was taken to Jaipur by teams of the CID-Intelligence for further interrogation. His mobile phone and computer systems have been seized and sent for forensic analysis, officials said.

Intelligence sources said the suspect had access to information related to various government schemes and documents because of his work. They suspect he came in contact with the Pakistani handler through social media platforms.

“He is suspected to have been honey-trapped and may have shared information of strategic importance,” a source was quoted as saying by PTI.

As of now, no official confirmation has been issued so far by the security agencies, said the source.

Investigators are now trying to determine whether any sensitive information was passed on in return for money or whether the suspect acted under pressure or coercion, sources said. The scale of the alleged information sharing, if any, is still being assessed.

Rajasthan shares an international border of more than 1,000 kilometres with Pakistan, which is guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF).