A former Indian Army employee has been detained in West Bengal in a case linked to allegations of espionage for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with investigators saying the matter involves classified Army-related information. The arrest took place in Hasimara, a town in Alipurduar district close to the India-Bhutan border.
Who has been arrested
The accused has been identified as Rajbir Singh, a resident of Rasulpur village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab and a former Lance Naik. Police said he was apprehended on Thursday from Hasimara, where an Indian Army cantonment is located. A Punjab Police team carried out the arrest with support from local Hasimara police.
What the court was told
According to Additional Public Prosecutor Soumitra Sinha Sarkar, who represented the state before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Siliguri court, Singh was wanted in connection with a case involving alleged spying for the ISI and sharing classified information related to the Army. The court granted transit remand, allowing the Punjab Police to take him back for further investigation. He is to be produced before the court in Fazilka.
Case details and allegations
The case was registered at Fazilka police station in Punjab on October 8, 2026, under the Official Secrets Act, with sections variously cited as 3 and 4, or Section 34 in some reports. Investigators allege that Singh illegally shared classified military information and intelligence inputs with the ISI, including during his service in the Army. He had reportedly been absconding after the FIR was filed.
Police also suspect that Singh worked with at least one associate who remains at large. Some reports say the probe is connected to the earlier arrest of a woman, Gurnaur Sidhu, on October 8 in the same Fazilka case for allegedly passing Army-related information to Pakistani handlers. During her interrogation, names of Army personnel, including Singh, reportedly surfaced.
Why Hasimara mattered in the operation
Hasimara’s location near the India-Bhutan border and the presence of an Army cantonment made it a sensitive place in this investigation. Police said they acted on a tip-off, taking into account the national security implications. The Punjab Police’s State Special Operations Cell is continuing to examine the alleged flow of information and whether a wider network was involved.
The investigation is still ongoing, and authorities are trying to identify any remaining suspects and establish the full extent of the alleged espionage network.
