Chandigarh, May 17, 2025: In a startling development amid ongoing India-Pakistan ceasefire efforts, a 25-year-old student has been arrested in Haryana on charges of espionage. Devendra Singh Dhillon, a political science student at Khalsa College, Patiala, was arrested from Kaithal on May 12 for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Espionage via Kartarpur Corridor?
Authorities revealed that Dhillon had traveled to Pakistan in November 2024 through the Kartarpur Corridor. During interrogation, it was discovered that he was allegedly recruited by ISI agents and tasked with passing military intelligence, including photographs of Patiala’s military cantonment.
The Kaithal Police seized Dhillon’s mobile device and initiated a forensic analysis. According to Police Superintendent Aastha Modi, his bank accounts are also under scrutiny to trace potential payments from Pakistani sources.
Second Arrest in a Week
This marks the second major arrest in Haryana within a week. Just days earlier, 24-year-old Nauman Ilahi, employed as a security guard in Panipat, was arrested for allegedly passing on information to Pakistani handlers via financial channels involving his brother-in-law.
The Punjab Police, in a parallel case, arrested two other individuals — including a woman — for espionage activities linked to a Pakistani official at the High Commission in Delhi.
Background: Calm After Operation Sindoor
These arrests come amid a fragile peace after India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7, which targeted nine terrorist locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation was a response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. A ceasefire was reached on May 10, but surveillance and counter-espionage measures have intensified.
What’s Next?
Investigations are ongoing, with security agencies focusing on potential recruitment through religious or cultural visits, such as via the Kartarpur Corridor. Intelligence officials suggest this case may uncover deeper espionage networks operating under civilian guises.
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