Spy network exposed as navy staffer caught sharing strategic secrets with ISI amid Operation Sindoor
by Utsav RoyA person stationed at Indian Navy Headquarters in Delhi has been apprehended on espionage charges, with authorities alleging he passed classified defence information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), including during the high-profile Operation Sindoor.
The individual in question, Vishal Yadav, a clerk posted at Navy HQ and a resident of Haryana, was arrested by Rajasthan Police’s intelligence division following a lengthy surveillance operation. According to sources, investigators had been tracking suspicious activities linked to Pakistan-based espionage for several months.
Senior police official Vishnukant Gupta, quoted in an NDTV report, stated, “The CID Intelligence unit of Rajasthan was monitoring espionage attempts by Pakistan’s ISI. During this process, they identified Vishal Yadav as a suspect. He had been regularly communicating with a woman claiming to be Priya Sharma, believed to be an ISI handler, through various social media platforms.”
Authorities believe Yadav leaked crucial naval and defence-related intelligence in exchange for monetary rewards. The financial transactions were reportedly made through both cryptocurrency platforms and direct bank deposits. Forensic experts recovered extensive digital evidence from his mobile phone, which includes long-term communication records and sensitive file transfers, some of which coincide with the timeline of Operation Sindoor, India’s targeted military response to terror hubs across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the deadly Pahalgam terror strike.
Preliminary inquiries reveal Yadav had developed a dependency on online gaming and had suffered considerable financial losses, which may have made him vulnerable to exploitation. Investigators suggest this financial distress played a key role in his decision to collaborate with foreign intelligence.
Currently, Yadav is undergoing extensive interrogation at the Central Interrogation Centre in Jaipur, where multiple intelligence agencies are working in coordination to assess the extent of the security breach. The investigation also aims to determine whether any additional individuals within or outside the armed forces were part of this espionage network.
The arrest comes amidst a broader national campaign against suspected espionage cells linked to Pakistan. Following the Pahalgam terror incident, which claimed over two dozen civilian lives, Indian security forces have ramped up their crackdown on cross-border intelligence operations.
Recently, other arrests have taken place across different states. In Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, a state government employee named Shakur Khan was detained on similar charges of spying for Pakistan. Meanwhile, in Haryana, Jyoti Malhotra, a YouTuber and vlogger was also arrested on allegations of espionage. Authorities allege that she had contact with a Pakistani official stationed at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi during Operation Sindoor, which unfolded from May 7 to May 10.
Officials stress that the investigation is ongoing and more arrests could follow, depending on the findings. The intelligence community remains on high alert as efforts continue to dismantle foreign espionage activities targeting India’s strategic infrastructure and military readiness.