Ahmedabad: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Gujarat has uncovered a Pakistan-backed espionage network attempting to extract sensitive information from Indian Army personnel and other security-related individuals. The ATS team has arrested two individuals, including a retired Army Subedar.

According to officials, a special ATS team, led by Superintendent of Police K. Siddharth and comprising Dy. SP Harsh Upadhyay, PI V.N. Vaghela, and PSIs D.V. Rathod and H.M. Ninama, launched an investigation following intelligence inputs. The probe revealed that Pakistani intelligence agencies were using fake online identities, social media platforms, and messaging applications to collect confidential information in exchange for financial incentives.

The investigation uncovered that “Ankita Sharma,” a fake identity created by Pakistan Intelligence Officers (PIOs), contacted accused Ajaykumar Surendrasingh, a retired Army Subedar from Goa, during his posting in Dimapur in 2022. The PIO sought details on army units, officer postings, and troop movements. Ajaykumar reportedly shared such information and was also instructed to install Trojan malware on his device, giving the PIO direct access to sensitive data.

During further investigation, the name of Rashmani Ravindra Pal, residing in Daman, came to light. During her initial questioning, it was revealed that she was working as a key conduit for Pakistani handlers. PIOs “Abdul Sattar” and “Khalid” offered her financial benefits in exchange for creating a fake identity under the name “Priya Thakur” and using it to cultivate friendships with Indian Army personnel. These contacts, whose details were shared by Sattar and Khalid, were then targeted to extract confidential military information. She was periodically provided with lists of multiple mobile numbers by the handlers and was in the process of attempting to trap some individuals to obtain sensitive army-related data.

Furthermore, the handlers instructed Rashmani to specifically collect information regarding certain army units, their war exercises, and movements. She was in direct contact with Abdul Sattar on his Pakistani number (+92). To receive and transfer money for various financial transactions under instructions from Abdul Sattar and Khalid, she opened a new account with Airtel Payments Bank.

Evidence, including WhatsApp chats, documents, and financial transactions, was recovered from the accused’s devices. Verification of IP addresses revealed that the PIOs were operating from Multan, Sargodha, and Lahore in Pakistan, often using VPNs and virtual Malaysian numbers to conceal their activities.

On 3rd December 2025, ATS Gujarat registered FIR No. 11/2025 under Sections 61 and 148 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 against the arrested accused, Rashmani Ravindra Pal and Ajaykumar Surendrasingh. Investigation into other conspirators is ongoing.

Details of Arrested Accused:

• Ajaykumar Surendrasingh Singh, 47, resident of Palavara, Madgaon, Goa. Native of Baruna (Nikapur), Bhojpur, Bihar.

• Rashmani Ravindra Pal, 35, resident of Tigra Cross Roads, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Native of Mithapur, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. DeshGujarat