LUDHIANA: A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Ludhiana for allegedly spying for Pakistan by setting up CCTV cameras and providing Pak agencies live feed of military movement on Ludhiana-Ferozepur road.The accused — Rachhpal Singh of Gurdaspur — had rented a shop as a front and installed banned Chinese CCTV cameras, which sent live feed 24×7 to his handlers across the border, say police. Baddowal Cantonment is 6km from this spot and every military vehicle has to pass across the shop.Two similar espionage cells were recently busted in Pathankot and Kapurthala.DCP (investigation) Harpal Singh said police had nabbed Rachhpal following a tip-off.“He ran a shoe store but would not open shop regularly. The CCTVs installed outside his shop faced in the direction of Ludhiana-Ferozepur road. All these raised suspicion. Pakistan based handlers had live access to these cameras through mobile apps. Rachhpal had shared the user ID and passwords with his Pak handlers to access the feed,” said an officer.Rachhpal’s interrogation has revealed that he received Rs 3 lakh in different instalments in cash in these two months and was paid Rs 40,000 each month for rent, said an officer, adding that police have found the link of the person through whom Rachhpal got in touch with Pak handlers.It is suspected that the Pak-based handlers used cross-border drug smugglers to deliver payment. Rachhpal Singh faces charges under Sections 3,4,5,9 of Official Secrets Act 1923 and section 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of BNS.
Chinese CCTV cameras banned
Indian govt has banned the sale of internet-based Chinese cameras citing security reasons. “Agencies cannot access the servers of Chinese cameras.Access to these app-based cameras can be taken overseas just by sharing username ID and password,” said an officer, adding that banned Chinese cameras are being sold in Ludhiana after being smuggled from Delhi.
Similar cases in Kapurthala and Pathankot
In May, a resident of Chakk Dhariwal village in Pathankot was arrested for spying for Pakistan. He had installed a Chinese CCTV camera on a shop on Pathankot-Jammu section on NH-44, access of which was given to Pak handlers.Just days before this, a camera mounted atop a pole was found in Kapurthala’s Model Town area. Three suspects were arrested.
2 arrested for spying
Muktsar district police on March 23 claimed to have arrested two members of a spying network accused of being in contact with the Pakistan agents and passing on secret information.The arrested accused have been identified as Akashdeep Singh alias Mintu from Mahabaddar village in Muktsar and Balraj Singh of Chibbranwali village. Their accomplice, Pritpal Singh, has already been arrested in another case.
