From Villager to Suspected Spy: Nuh Man Held for Leaking Secrets to Pakistan

On Saturday, a 26-year-old man called Armaan was taken into custody in the Nuh district of Haryana on suspicion of spying for Pakistan. This is the third arrest in the state that has been linked to national security in as many days.

Officials from the Nagina police station reportedly took Armaan into jail. He is charged with providing a person employed at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi with confidential information on the Indian Army and military operations. According to reports, WhatsApp and other social media sites were used to spread the information.

A Nuh police spokesperson confirmed Armaan's arrest and identified him as a resident of Rajaka village. "Since the case involves national security, we are unable to disclose many details at this point," the official said to The Indian Express. Authorities said a forensic search of Armaan's phone uncovered chats, photos, and videos that were allegedly sent to contacts with phone numbers linked to Pakistan.

Armaan was presented before a local court on Saturday and remanded to six days of police custody. He is being investigated under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Official Secrets Act.

While police continue to probe the case, Armaan's family has disputed the allegations. A family member, speaking anonymously, said, "He has always been a good child. The police haven't questioned us yet. I don't know what evidence they have, but I believe the accusations are false. We do have relatives in Pakistan and remain in touch with them - perhaps that has caused some misunderstanding."

This incident follows two similar arrests in Haryana in recent days.

Travel blogger Jyoti Rani, also known online as "Travel with Jo," was arrested by police on Friday. Rani has 132,000 Instagram followers and over 377,000 YouTube subscribers. After applying for a visa at the Pakistan High Commission in 2023, Rani is alleged to have given a Pakistani official classified information. Investigators claim that she met Danish, whose real name is Ehsan-ur-Rahim. On May 13, the Indian government branded him persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country.

Earlier in the same week, authorities arrested Nauman Elahi, a 24-year-old private security guard working at a textile factory in Panipat. Originally from Uttar Pradesh, Elahi was taken into custody for allegedly sharing sensitive information with multiple Pakistani contacts.

These arrests have heightened concerns about attempts by foreign intelligence networks to infiltrate and extract information from Indian civilians through digital platforms and direct contact. Investigations in all three cases are ongoing.