Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 28: A shocking espionage case with alarming national security implications has surfaced in Jammu, where a 24-year-old youth was allegedly honey-trapped by a woman believed to be linked to Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, the ISI, and lured into sharing sensitive information related to security forces and military installations.
The accused, identified as Karan Kumar, a resident of Makwal in the Satwari area of Jammu, was arrested after security agencies uncovered what is suspected to be a cross-border espionage network operating through social media and fake online identities.
According to investigators, the unemployed youth came into contact with a woman through the internet a few months ago. Posing as a Delhi-based executive working for an international company, the woman allegedly befriended Karan through social media chats and video calls before gradually manipulating him emotionally.
Officials said the woman trapped the youth in a carefully planned “honeytrap” operation. After winning his trust, she allegedly promised him a lucrative job and huge financial rewards in exchange for specific videos, photographs, and details related to security installations in Jammu and nearby areas.
Blinded by the lure of money and emotional attachment, Karan allegedly began sharing sensitive visuals and information concerning the movement and locations of security forces, officials said.
Sources revealed that the accused also received Rs 2,000 in his bank account through a Dubai-based channel as an initial payment, while he was allegedly promised a much larger amount — nearly Rs 2 lakh — for further information.
The suspicious transactions and online activities reportedly triggered alerts within security agencies, following which the youth was detained and later arrested. A formal case has been registered at the Satwari police station, and multiple agencies are now jointly investigating the matter.
During questioning, Karan allegedly confessed that the woman used provocative behaviour and obscene gestures during video calls to emotionally influence and control him.
Investigators believe the woman was operating under a fake identity as part of a larger ISI-backed espionage module targeting vulnerable youth in border regions.
Security agencies have seized the accused’s mobile phone and sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory for detailed examination. Officials expect crucial digital evidence, including chats, videos, financial transactions, and possible links to foreign handlers, to emerge during forensic analysis.
Investigators are also probing whether the accused used mobile phones belonging to his family members to avoid detection and whether any other local contacts were involved in the alleged spying racket.
Officials said the case has exposed a disturbing pattern in which hostile intelligence agencies are increasingly using social media, fake profiles, romance traps, and job offers to target unemployed youth living in sensitive border areas.
Security agencies have urged people, especially youngsters, to remain alert while interacting with unknown individuals online and immediately report any suspicious digital contact or financial inducement to the police. |