Ghaziabad Police Arrest Six for Allegedly Sharing Sensitive Security Details with Pakistani Number
In a significant security breach, Ghaziabad police have arrested six individuals, including a woman, for allegedly filming and sharing highly sensitive details of railway stations, security establishments, and other critical public locations in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai with a Pakistani mobile number. The arrests at Kaushambi come just days after police in nearby Masuri detained six men for allegedly watching and circulating videos linked to banned Pakistan-based terror groups.
Details of the Arrested Individuals
The six individuals apprehended for sharing photographs and location data include:
- Suhail Malik (23) from Bijnor
- Sane Iram (25), also known as Mehak, from Kaushambi
- Raj Valmiki (19) from Auraiya
- Siva Valmiki (20) from Badaun
- Ritik Gangwar (23) from Shahjahanpur
Police officials revealed that the group was traced following a specific tip-off about individuals filming public places and security agency offices using their mobile phones. "Multiple photos had been sent to a foreign number," stated Raj Karan Nayyar, Additional Commissioner of Police, after questioning the suspects and examining their devices.
Modus Operandi and Financial Incentives
According to police investigations, the accused had been systematically filming and sharing sensitive data for several months, acting on specific instructions received through the Pakistani number. "Prima facie, they were paid Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per task," disclosed an investigating officer, adding that recovered chat records contained images from numerous locations across NCR and Mumbai, though some material had been deliberately deleted.
Abhishek Srivastava, ACP Indirapuram, confirmed that the group allegedly shared "location details and photographs of places with a Pakistani number through WhatsApp," and that several calls had also been made to that foreign number. The initial contact was reportedly established through a WhatsApp group, after which the suspects were instructed to recruit additional individuals willing to share sensitive information for monetary compensation.
Specific Security Breaches Uncovered
Police sources revealed particularly alarming details about the security breaches. One suspect had installed a camera at Delhi Cantt railway station several months ago and transmitted information about the surrounding area. Furthermore, the shared data included not just railway stations in NCR, but also detailed information about RPF and GRP deployments, public places, defense areas, and government offices in Mumbai.
"Government agencies have been alerted regarding the arrests and fundings," confirmed an officer involved in the investigation. The scope and specificity of the information shared has raised serious concerns about potential national security implications.
Legal Proceedings and Ongoing Investigation
An FIR has been registered against all six accused at Kaushambi police station under multiple legal provisions:
- Section 152 of BNS (acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India)
- Section 61(2) of BNS (criminal conspiracy)
- Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act
Investigators have recovered eight mobile phones from the suspects and are conducting forensic examinations to uncover additional evidence. Police are also attempting to establish potential connections between these arrests and the earlier Masuri case, where six men, including an advocate and a madrasa teacher, were charged under UAPA for allegedly following banned terror outfits online and sharing related videos on WhatsApp.
The investigation remains active as authorities work to identify the Pakistani handlers and determine the full extent of the security compromise. This case highlights growing concerns about digital espionage and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to foreign intelligence operations conducted through social media platforms and encrypted messaging services.
