Rs 40,000, CCTV to track Indian Army movement: Inside Punjab’s latest Pak-linked spy case

Chandigarh: Investigators probing the latest espionage case linked to Pakistan-based handlers have revealed how a Punjab man allegedly used a strategically placed internet-connected CCTV camera to monitor and transmit live visuals of army and paramilitary movement along the sensitive Pathankot-Jammu highway corridor.

Police said Baljit Singh, also known as Bittu and a resident of Chakk Dhariwal village in Punjab’s Pathankot district, was arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan-based operatives and assisting a wider cross-border network.

According to investigators, Singh had installed a CCTV camera at a shop near a bridge on the Pathankot-Jammu stretch of National Highway-44, a crucial route frequently used by military and paramilitary convoys heading towards Jammu and Kashmir.

The surveillance feed was allegedly transmitted electronically to handlers based in Pakistan and other foreign locations, senior police officer Daljinder Singh Dhillon said.

During questioning, Singh allegedly confessed that he had installed the internet-enabled CCTV camera in January this year at a shop near Sujanpur on the highway.

Police claimed the accused was receiving operational instructions from an unidentified handler based in Dubai and was paid Rs 40,000 for the task.

Investigators said the setup involved an internet WiFi router connected to the CCTV unit, allowing remote live access to the footage. The equipment has since been seized by police.

Officials suspect the camera was deliberately positioned to track troop movement, convoy patterns and deployment activity along the strategic highway route.

The arrest followed intelligence inputs about suspicious activity along the Pathankot-Jammu corridor, prompting a surveillance operation by the Sujanpur police.

Police have registered a case against four accused in connection with the espionage network. Besides Baljit Singh, those named include Vikramjit Singh alias Vikka, Balwinder Singh alias Vicky and Taranpreet Singh alias Tannu.

Police said the accused were allegedly involved in “criminal and anti-national activities”.

Officials said a detailed report has been forwarded to senior authorities and further investigations are underway to trace the network’s cross-border links, funding channels and overseas handlers.

Raids are currently being conducted to arrest the remaining accused.