JAISALMER: A state govt employee was detained Wednesday in Rajasthan on suspicion of spying for Pakistan's spy agency ISI amid a widening crackdown on espionage networks across the country after Op Sindoor.
Sakur Khan Mangaliyar, employed with the state's employment department, was picked up by a joint team of CID and intelligence agencies from his office in Jaisalmer.
Mangaliyar is expected to be transferred to Jaipur for further questioning. Authorities are also probing a suspected connection between Mangaliyar and a senior Congress politician from the border region.
Security agencies have withheld comment on political links. Sources said Mangaliyar served as a personal assistant to a Congress functionary during the previous Congress-led state govt.
Mangaliyar, a resident of Mangaliya's Dhani in Baroda village near the Pakistan border, had been under surveillance for several weeks. Investigators found multiple Pakistani phone numbers in his mobile device and reported that he could not provide credible explanations. He also admitted to traveling to Pakistan at least seven times in recent years, raising further concerns.
SP Sudhir Chaudhary said the inquiry began following alerts from "higher headquarters" over suspicious activities. "We are verifying all facts and conducting an inquiry," he added.
Though no military-related photos or videos were found on his phone, officials said several files had been deleted. Two bank accounts under his name are currently under scrutiny. Intelligence sources revealed possible links between Mangaliyar and an official in Pakistan's embassy, suggesting coordination with ISI handlers.
His detention follows a string of arrests across Punjab and Haryana connected to spying for Pakistan. Since May 7, when India launched Op Sindoor in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, at least seven suspects have been arrested in espionage-related cases in the two states.
Among them is Hisar-based travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, accused of passing sensitive data to Pakistani handlers. On May 11, Punjab police arrested two people in Malerkotla. Haryana police detained two on May 13 and May 15. Two people working inside Bathinda military station were held on May 7 and May 14 on similar charges.