The Commissionerate Police have arrested three persons for allegedly leaking sensitive information related to government departments to Pakistan on June 26, Friday. The accused are said to be working for gangster Shahzad Bhatti and his associate Harmaz Gujjar. The accused have been identified as Pradeep Singh, Bharat Verma, and Sachin Khosla, residents of Kamal Vihar in Jalandhar.
Information by CP Satinder Singh
Addressing a press conference, Police Commissioner Satinder Singh said the three accused were acting on the instructions of Shahzad Bhatti and Harmaz Gujjar and were allegedly involved in collecting and transmitting information related to the functioning and activities of various government departments. According to the police, the investigation revealed that the accused Pradeep came into contact with Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti through social media platforms. In addition to this information, he also added that the accused shared information of the government infrastructure, buildings and establishments to Pakistan. Not only information from Punjab, but the accused travelled to other states as well to collect information and pass it to Pakistan. He considered this as a big success for Jalandhar police and assured that the remaining members of the network will be under arrest in no time. The preliminary investigation revealed 3 other members of the network. Acting on the information, a team of police officials has been sent to raid the accused. A case has been registered against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and further investigation is in progress.
Involvement of accused in other cases
Due to national security concerns, the police said they cannot publicly disclose the documents or evidence collected during the investigation. Police further revealed that one of the accused, Bharat Verma, has a previous criminal case of assault registered against him from 2023-24. Preliminary investigations indicate that the trio had been active in the alleged espionage-related activities for the past three to four months. During the course of the investigation, police found that the three men were close associates and allegedly worked together in gathering and passing on information. Investigators suspect they received large sums of money in return for sharing the sensitive information. It was also informed that one of the accused has involvement in one the bomb blast cases that took place earlier in the year.
CP’S appeal to the youth
CP Satinder Singh appealed to the youth to not get influenced by these miscreants. He added that any kind of illegal activity will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against those who take law in their hands. He requested the youth to stay away from those directing to to implement terrorism in the country. This will only lead to causing damage in one’s and their family’s life.
Police believe further interrogation of the accused is likely to reveal additional details about the alleged network, the nature of the information shared, and any other individuals involved. The investigation is continuing. The officials assured the public to reveal all important details about the case once the investigation is successfully over. Crucial information of the case could not be shared to the media, keeping security of the nation in mind.