Man suspected of spying for Pakistan's ISI held in Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer, Jan 26: Security agencies have detained a man from the border district of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan on suspicion of spying for Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, officials said on Monday.

The action was carried out late on the night of January 25, when a special team reached the suspect's house and took him into custody, locals said.

The suspect, identified as Jhabararam Meghwal, a resident of Nehdan village, was running an e-Mitra centre in the border area and was allegedly in contact with a Pakistani woman handler, they said.

Teams of the CID-Intelligence took the suspect to Jaipur for questioning, while his mobile phone and computer systems have been seized for forensic examination, officials said. Preliminary inquiries suggest that he had been operating the e-Mitra centre in the village for the past four years.

According to intelligence sources, the suspect had access to several government-related schemes and documents, and there is suspicion that he came in contact with the Pakistani handler through social media.

"He is suspected to have been honey-trapped and may have shared information of strategic importance," a source said, adding that no official confirmation from security agencies has been released yet.

Sources said that investigators are trying to ascertain whether the accused shared sensitive information in exchange for money or acted under pressure or coercion.

Rajasthan shares an over 1,000-km-long international border with Pakistan, guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF).