Jagran Correspondent, Ludhiana | Ludhiana police arrested a 20-year-old man from Gurdaspur on charges of spying for handlers linked to Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI. The accused has been identified as Rachpal Singh, a resident of Fatehgarh Churian, Gurdaspur, Punjab.
Live Streaming Access Was Given To Pakistan-Based Handlers
According to the police, for the past two months, the accused had been running a shoe shop at a rented building on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road and installed four Chinese CCTV cameras there, transmitting live feeds from these cameras to handlers in Pakistan. These cameras were allegedly monitoring the Baddowal Cantonment area and surrounding areas.
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Police have registered a case against the accused at Sarabha Nagar police station under sections 3, 4, 5, and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and section 61(2) of the BNS. DCP (Investigation) Harpal Singh confirmed the arrest and said the action was taken based on information received by the police. The accused is being questioned and the investigation is ongoing.
According to the police, Rachpal rented a shop opposite a private hospital on the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road. The accused lives on the third floor of the same building. He opened a shoe shop there, but did not open it regularly. Instead, he installed CCTV cameras outside the shop, facing the Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road.
During the investigation, police discovered four cameras (with memory cards). Access to these cameras was provided to handlers in Pakistan through a mobile application. The accused also shared the cameras' user IDs and passwords with the handlers. According to the police, he received approximately 2.5 to 3 lakh rupees in return.
Link To Pakistan Reached Through Jailed Drug Smuggler
During the investigation, police discovered that Rachpal had been in contact with a drug trafficker in jail through an individual from Dera Baba Nanak. Sources indicate that the drug trafficker has connections with handlers linked to the ISI in Pakistan.
With the help of this network, Rachpal got the job of installing cameras in Ludhiana. Police are now trying to determine who the person at Dera Baba Nanak is and how Rachpal came into direct contact with handlers in Pakistan through the jailed drug smuggler. Rachpal also has a previous drug trafficking case registered against him. Police suspect that he may have come into contact with the spy with Pakistan links while in jail.
Investigating officers are examining information related to the accused's mobile phones, cameras, DVR/storage devices, mobile applications, and digital transactions. Police are also trying to determine where the cameras were purchased and who helped install them. Sources indicate that the accused's primary focus was the Cantonment area, although this has not been confirmed by officials.
Accused Left Village Four Years Ago
Rachpal Singh alias Bhala, a resident of Sarf Kot, has five brothers. Four of them work as porters in Amritsar. The accused, Rachpal Singh, has been living outside the village for the past four years and rarely visits.
Third Such Incident In Three Months
In May 2026, a resident of Chakk Dhariwal village in Pathankot was arrested on similar charges. The accused had installed a Chinese CCTV camera at a shop on the Pathankot-Jammu section of National Highway 44 and provided access to handlers based in Pakistan.
In July, a camera was found installed on an electric pole in the Model Town area of Kapurthala. Sukhwinder Singh, his son, and Sandeep Singh, residents of Ferozepur, were arrested during the investigation.