How Madhuri Gupta’s Love Affair With a Pakistani Handler Turned Into One of India’s Biggest Spy Scandals in Post-26/11 Islamabad

Long before espionage stories began trending on YouTube thumbnails and true-crime podcasts, India was already grappling with a real-life intelligence betrayal that felt stranger than fiction. It unfolded quietly, without gunshots or car chases, in the hushed corridors of diplomacy. At its centre was Madhuri Gupta, a middle-aged Indian Foreign Service officer whose life took a dramatic turn inside Pakistan’s capital. Fluent in Urdu, drawn to Sufi poetry, and regarded as intellectually sharp, Gupta did not fit the stereotype of a mole. Yet in 2010, she became the face of one of India’s most unsettling espionage scandals, accused of spying for Pakistan’s dreaded intelligence agency. What makes her story linger is not just the charge of betrayal,

but how ordinary it began. A posting abroad. A shared love for literature. A relationship that blurred into dependence. And then, quietly, the slow unravelling of trust at a time when India could least afford it.

Who Was Madhuri Gupta Before the Scandal?

Before her arrest dominated headlines, Gupta was a career diplomat with nearly three decades in government service. She had worked with the Indian Council of World Affairs and later served as Second Secretary in the Press and Information wing at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Her role was not glamorous. She monitored Pakistani media, prepared analytical reports for Delhi, and acted as a link between journalists and the mission.

Colleagues described her as scholarly, deeply invested in Urdu literature, and fascinated by Sufism. In a city like Islamabad, where culture and politics often intermingle, these interests helped her blend in. They also, investigators later alleged, made her vulnerable.

The First Whispers Inside Indian Intelligence

It was early 2010. Barely 18 months had passed since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and India–Pakistan relations were brittle. Within the Intelligence Bureau, then-chief Rajiv Mathur received information that something was amiss at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The name that surfaced was unexpected. Madhuri Gupta. The inputs were discreetly shared with Research and Analysis Wing chief KC Verma and Home Secretary GK Pillai. Rather than acting immediately, agencies chose to watch. For two weeks, Gupta was placed under close surveillance. Carefully planted information was fed into official channels. When that information surfaced on the other side, the source was unmistakable.

The Recall That Became a Trap

Unaware that the net was tightening, Gupta was summoned back to Delhi under the pretext of assisting with media coordination for an upcoming SAARC summit. She arrived on April 21, 2010, spent the night at her West Delhi home, and reported to South Block the next morning.

There, inside the Ministry of External Affairs, officers from the Delhi Police Special Cell were waiting. On April 22, Madhuri Gupta was arrested under the Official Secrets Act. The allegation was grave. She had leaked classified defence and security information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and, worse, compromised the identities of Indian intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover. Investigating officer Pankaj Sood would later state that she had disclosed biographical details of High Commission staff and flagged sensitive operational information. One of the officers affected was reportedly R&AW station chief RK Sharma, whose cover was effectively blown.

Love, Literature, and the Anatomy of a Honeytrap

So what went wrong? Investigators concluded that Gupta had been caught in a classic honeytrap. At the centre of it was a Pakistani operative named Jamshed, also known as Jim. He was young, charming, and positioned carefully into her life. Another handler, Mudassar Raza Rana, coordinated the operation. Trust was built slowly. One early gesture involved helping Gupta locate a rare book by Maulana Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed. From there, conversations moved to poetry, Rumi, and Sufism. Emotional dependence followed. Emails retrieved by investigators revealed that Gupta had even expressed a desire to convert to Islam, marry Jamshed, and travel with him to Istanbul. She used a computer installed at her Islamabad residence and a BlackBerry phone to stay in constant touch. Two email IDs were allegedly created by her handlers to facilitate communication.

A Kashmir Trip That Raised Red Flags

In March 2010, Gupta travelled to Jammu and Kashmir, allegedly on Rana’s instructions. Investigators believe she attempted to source sensitive documents, including details of a proposed 310 MW hydroelectric project and the state’s annual plan report. While she was unable to procure some of the information, the intent, the court later observed, was evident.

Prison, Trial, and a Slow Verdict

Gupta spent 21 months in Tihar Jail before being granted bail. In 2012, she was formally charged under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, which carry a maximum punishment of 14 years. The case dragged on. In 2018, a Delhi court finally convicted her of espionage, sentencing her to three years in prison. During sentencing, the court noted, as reported by the Press Trust of India, that her actions showed a clear intention to assist an enemy country, even if the information passed was limited. Throughout the trial, Gupta maintained her innocence, alleging that she had been framed by senior officials. She lived in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, while her appeal remained pending in the Delhi High Court. She died in October 2021 at the age of 64.