Haryana Student Held for Espionage: Second Arrest Linked to Pakistan This Week

Devendra Singh Dhillon, a political science student from Patiala, was allegedly in contact with Pakistan’s ISI and shared sensitive military images after a Kartarpur visit.

May 17, 2025 — In a worrying case of cross-border espionage, Haryana Police have arrested a 25-year-old college student for allegedly spying for Pakistan. This marks the second such arrest in the state within a week, even as tensions between India and Pakistan ease following a temporary ceasefire.

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The accused, Devendra Singh Dhillon, a political science Master’s student at Khalsa College in Patiala, was detained in Kaithal on May 12. Officials said Dhillon had uploaded pictures of weapons on his Facebook account, which triggered initial suspicions.

During interrogation, investigators uncovered that Dhillon had visited Pakistan in November 2024 via the Kartarpur corridor and was allegedly recruited by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He reportedly sent images of the Patiala military cantonment and other sensitive content to his Pakistani handlers.

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Kaithal Superintendent of Police Aastha Modi said Dhillon was being financially supported by ISI agents, and his phone and bank records are under forensic scrutiny to track communication patterns and money trails.

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Part of a Wider Network?

Dhillon’s arrest comes shortly after Nauman Ilahi, a 24-year-old security guard in Panipat, was held for similar charges. Ilahi, originally from Uttar Pradesh, allegedly transferred intelligence to Pakistani agents via relatives’ bank accounts.

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In a related development, Punjab Police last week arrested two individuals, including a woman, suspected of spying for a Pakistani official posted at the High Commission in Delhi.

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Background: Espionage Amid Ceasefire Calm

The latest espionage crackdown comes just days after Operation Sindoor, India’s retaliatory strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 civilian lives. The strikes escalated cross-border tensions until a ceasefire agreement was reached on May 10.

The Home Ministry has instructed state police forces to stay on high alert and monitor potential sleeper cells or recruits, especially those with foreign travel histories or online radicalisation footprints.

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Tags:

India Pakistan espionage, Haryana student ISI, Devendra Singh Dhillon, Kartarpur corridor spying, Operation Sindoor, Indian Army cantonment leak, ISI India espionage, Pakistan High Commission spy network, OperationSindoor,