NIA arrests Kolkata man in Pakistan-linked espionage and terror case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Pakistan-backed spy for allegedly passing on confidential, security-related information to Pakistani intelligence officers, as part of an anti-India terror conspiracy. Zafar Riaz @ Rizvi, a Kolkata resident, had a look out circular issued against him and proceedings were also under way to declare him a proclaimed offender (PO) when he was arrested under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Official Secrets Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Zafar is married to a Pakistani national and his children too are Pakistanis citizens. Convicted earlier in an espionage case, Zafar had been travelling between India and Pakistan since 2005. NIA investigations in the case RC-12/2025/NIA/DLI revealed that he was contacted and cultivated by Pakistani intelligence operatives during one such visit, to carry out espionage activities in India in lieu of financial inducements and the promise of Pakistani citizenship. To facilitate other espionage and terror operatives, the accused had provided one-time passwords (OTPs) of Indian telecom mobile numbers to a Pakistani intelligence officer for activating WhatsApp accounts. The alleged PIO used these accounts to secretly communicate with one Motiram Jat, also an accused in the instant case. Jat was also engaged in conveying secret security-related information to the intelligence officer.The investigation in the case is continuing