15-year-old detained in Punjab for allegedly spying for Pakistan
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Chandigarh: A 15-year-old boy was detained by police in Pathankot district of Punjab for allegedly spying and sharing confidential information through social media, prompting authorities to issue a state-wide alert over possible espionage activities involving minors.
Officials said on Tuesday that the boy, a resident of Jammu’s Samba district, had allegedly been passing critical and sensitive information related to India to handlers of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the past one year.
He is accused of sharing photographs and details of sensitive military locations. Police said chats and call records recovered from his mobile phone corroborated the allegations.
According to the police, the boy was emotionally vulnerable as he believed that his father had been murdered, a factor that is said to have been exploited by Pakistani agencies.
Senior Superintendent of Police Daljinder Singh Dhillon, posted in Pathankot, told the media that the minor was taken into custody after inputs suggested he had been supplying information related to national security to frontal organisations of terror agencies, the ISI, and Pakistani military officers.
Dhillon said the boy fell into the trap of Pakistani handlers through social media platforms, adding that his suspicion surrounding his father’s death had adversely affected his mental state.
Media reports said the police acted after surveillance and technical analysis established links between the boy’s communications and Pakistan-based handlers.
During questioning, investigators found that the boy was not operating alone. Officials suspect that several other children may also be in contact with ISI operatives.
In view of this, alerts have been issued to police stations across Punjab to remain vigilant and identify other minors who may have been targeted. The case has also raised serious concerns among Indian security agencies, with investigators suspecting that the ISI is attempting to recruit young children for espionage activities.
A senior Punjab Police officer admitted that this emerging trend poses a significant security risk.
With IANS inputs