2 arrested in Punjab for allegedly leaking details of Amritsar Army bases to Pakistani operatives

The Punjab Police on Saturday arrested two persons for allegedly leaking sensitive details and photographs of Army cantonment areas and air bases in Amritsar to intelligence operatives in Pakistan.

Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav identified the two men as Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih. He said that a preliminary investigation had revealed their links to Pakistani intelligence operatives, established through a person named Harpreet Singh, who is currently lodged in Amritsar Central Jail.

“A case has been registered under the Official Secrets Act and the investigation is ongoing,” Yadav wrote on X. “Further critical revelations are expected as the probe deepens.”

Maninder Singh, senior superintendent of police (Amritsar Rural), told The Indian Express that information was received about Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih being in touch with Pakistani intelligence operatives and leaking details about sensitive installations.

“They had one more partner, Harpreet, who brought them in touch with the ISI [Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence], and we will bring him from Amritsar Jail on a production warrant,” the newspaper quoted Maninder Singh as saying.

“One narcotics case was already registered against him [Harpreet Singh],” he added. “We have registered an FIR [first information report] under the Official Secrets Act and the Information Technology Act and are keenly investigating the matter.”

The preliminary investigation showed that Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih received between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 for sensitive information such as the movement of troops, Maninder Singh said. The police also recovered a cache of weapons and explosive RDX during the investigation, he added.

“Earlier, they [Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih] used to pick heroin consignments from the border, and now they were asked for such information,” the newspaper quoted the police officer as saying. “They were disclosing information about sensitive army installations and movements to the Pakistani agents and helping in strengthening the enemy’s design.”

On X, Yadav added: “Punjab Police stands strong with Indian Army, remains unwavering in its duty to safeguard national interests. Any attempt to undermine the security of our armed forces will be met with firm and immediate action.”

The arrests come in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.

The attack, which killed 26 persons and injured 17, took place in the Baisaran area near the town of Pahalgam in Anantnag district.

Militants fired at tourists, most of whom were from outside the state. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those who died were Hindu.

After the attack, India and Pakistan have taken a series of diplomatic measures against each other. India imposed a second set of measures over the past two days against Pakistan, including curbing the flow of water through the Baglihar dam and banning the docking of ships owned by the country.

Earlier, New Delhi suspended visa services for Pakistani citizens and said all valid visas would be revoked from April 27, except medical visas, which remained valid until April 29. Pakistani citizens in India under the SAARC visa scheme were given 48 hours to leave.

At the end of the deadline, 537 Pakistanis had left India through the Attari-Wagah border crossing in Punjab.

India also said that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty would remain in abeyance until Pakistan “credibly and irrevocably” stopped its support for cross-border terrorism.

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