DELHI COUPLE HELD FOR SPYING FOR PAK’S ISI

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Special Cell has busted an espionage network backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and arrested a Delhi-based couple on charges of spying since 2024.

Sahil (25) and his wife Sameera (21) were allegedly in contact with Pakistan-based intelligence operatives and helped them obtain sensitive information related to India, police said.

Officials said the investigation uncovered links stretching from Delhi to Karachi and Islamabad, with Pakistani handlers allegedly sending money to the couple.

According to the police, Sahil and Sameera obtained eight Indian SIM cards and sent them to Pakistan via Dubai between 2024 and 2025. The handlers allegedly paid them Rs 30,000 for the SIM cards.

Police said the numbers were used to activate WhatsApp accounts in Pakistan. Pakistani intelligence operatives allegedly used those accounts to contact people in India and gather sensitive information.

Some of the accounts were also allegedly used to enter Indian WhatsApp groups, where the operatives attempted to obtain information.

The investigation also found that Pakistan-based handlers were communicating with people in India, including alleged overground workers and sleeper cells, through social media and encrypted communication platforms, police said.

Police allege Sahil was tasked with conducting reconnaissance of cantonment areas in different parts of India and recruiting people for espionage and field operations.

The investigation also found that Sahil allegedly provided information about Army personnel facing court-martial proceedings before a tribunal.

The findings suggest the network was not limited to gathering general information and was seeking sensitive details about Indian defence establishments and military activities, police said.

INSTAGRAM CONTACT LED TO SPY NETWORK
The Special Cell first arrested Sahil, the son of Mohammad Asfaq, from Chand Bibi Camp in Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi.

A forensic examination of his mobile phone allegedly revealed chats with Pakistani agents. Based on those conversations, investigators traced the network further and learnt about Sameera’s alleged role.

Police then arrested Sameera. Her mobile phone allegedly contained WhatsApp chats and conversations involving Sahil and Pakistan-based handlers.

According to police, Sahil first came in contact with a Pakistani agent through Instagram in 2024. The contact was allegedly facilitated by Sameera, whom Sahil had met in 2022 before they married.

The Pakistani agent later introduced the couple to a Pakistani intelligence operative, who allegedly persuaded them to work for the network by promising financial benefits.

Police said the couple was also tasked with providing logistical support to the network in Delhi and recruiting other people for espionage and field operations.

Two mobile phones were recovered from the couple, police said. The devices allegedly contained conversations with Pakistani intelligence operatives and information about the network’s contacts and activities in India.

Sahil, born in 2001, holds a BA degree from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Delhi. He had worked with a lawyer and was planning to pursue an LLB, police said. He left his job in June 2025 and had been unemployed since.

Sameera, born in 2005, studied at Kanya Vidyalaya in Keshav Puram through Class 12 and later earned a BA through correspondence. She was working at a call centre in Noida before her arrest.

Police said the investigation began after the Special Cell received information about logistical support being provided to terrorist organisations and their alleged overground workers and sleeper cells.

As the investigation progressed, police identified local members allegedly helping the network obtain Indian SIM cards and facilitate communication between Pakistan-based handlers and people in India.

The Special Cell said the arrests of Sahil and Sameera have provided crucial leads about the Pakistan-based intelligence network and its alleged contacts in India.