Pathankot police bust racket spying for Pakistani intelligence, 1 arrested
Pathankot espionage case involves an alleged CCTV surveillance setup used to monitor Indian Army movement and transmit live feeds to handlers.
The CCTV camera seized by the police. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement) The Pathankot police have recently uncovered an espionage network operating on behalf of Pakistani intelligence agencies.
The Central Investigating Agency (CIA) staff of the Pathankot police arrested Baljit Singh alias Bittu, a resident of Chak Dhariwal village in Pathankot. The police said Bittu and three of his accomplices were in active contact with anti-national elements.
Investigations revealed that the suspects had strategically installed a specialised CCTV camera on a roadside shop located between Bridge Numbers 4 and 5 on NH-44 Pathankot-Jammu Highway in Sujanpur. The primary objective of this setup was to closely monitor and track the movements and tactical activities of the Indian Army and paramilitary forces. The live electronic feed from these cameras was being transmitted directly to Pakistan-based handlers and intelligence agencies, presenting a threat to the sovereignty, integrity, and security of India.
During interrogation following his arrest, Baljit Singh allegedly confessed that he and his associates had set up the internet-enabled rotating CCTV camera back in January 2026. He revealed that the entire operation was being directed by an unidentified handler operating out of Dubai. For executing this espionage task, he was handed a financial reward of Rs 40,000.
The accused had recently removed the camera from the highway and hidden it inside the shop. However, police teams managed to successfully seize the camera along with its air fiber modem.
A formal case has been registered against the accused at the Sujanpur police station on Thursday.
The suspects face charges under Sections 61, 111, 113(3), and 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), alongside Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. While Baljit Singh has already been taken into custody, two other co-accused are currently lodged in jail in connection with a separate NDPS Act case and will soon be brought in on a production warrant for questioning.
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