DEHRA (KANGRA), MAY 29 — A 20-year-old man was arrested in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district on suspicion of espionage for Pakistan, marking the first such case in the state following a nationwide intelligence crackdown, police said Thursday.
The accused, Abhishek Bhardwaj, a college dropout, was taken into custody from his residence in Sukahar village under the Dehra subdivision on Wednesday. Officials said objectionable and sensitive content found on his mobile phone pointed to his alleged involvement in sharing intelligence information with foreign operatives.
“We had received a specific input regarding his activities,” said Dehra Superintendent of Police Mayank Chaudhary. “He was placed under surveillance, and during the investigation, we recovered sensitive videos and photographs from his phone. The device has been seized and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for detailed analysis.”
A special team, formed under the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Dadaseeba, had been tracking Abhishek for several days, compiling intelligence and monitoring his movements.
Following his interrogation at the Dehra police station, Bhardwaj was booked under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for actions considered a threat to India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity.
This arrest comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, a coordinated effort launched by Indian authorities on May 7, in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead.
Since the start of the operation, at least seven individuals have been arrested across Punjab and Haryana in connection with alleged espionage for Pakistan. Bhardwaj’s arrest expands the scope of the crackdown into Himachal Pradesh, which had not previously reported such cases.
“This case has raised serious concerns about how deeply these networks are operating,” said a senior intelligence official who requested anonymity. “We are treating this as part of a larger pattern that demands continued vigilance.”
