Youth From Shamli, Faridabad, Meerut, Ghaziabad Arrested, As Alleged Pak Spy Ring Probe Widens
Ghaziabad Police arrested a youth from Shamli on charges of spying for Pakistan on Monday, bringing the total number of arrests to 22.
Published : March 23, 2026 at 1:45 PM IST
Shamli/Faridabad: The alleged case of spying for Pakistan continues to expand, as Ghaziabad Police spread its net wide to arrest people from across western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
On Monday, Ghaziabad Police arrested a young man named Sameer from the Babri police station area in village Butrada of Shamli district, on charges of gathering intelligence on military bases and key strategic locations for Pakistan.
The the Special Cell of Ghaziabad Police had initially detained two youths from the village on the day of Eid, but following their interrogation, they were released. They then detained a third youth, Sameer, for further questioning. Today, he was charged and arrested.
Sameer is alleged to have connections with a Meera Prajapati alias Meera Thakur, a resident of Aurangabad in Mathura, who was arrested on Sunday and faces allegations of espionage and association with a syndicate involved in secretly installing CCTV cameras at sensitive locations across the country.
Sameer's father Shahzad said the arrested youth is the second of his three sons, all of whom live in village Butrada. He described Sameer as being slow-witted and lacking general awareness, who had got married a few months ago. He said: "Ghaziabad Police personnel arrived and took my son into custody. When I asked them what crime my son had committed, they gave no explanation, merely assuring me that I would be fully apprised of the matter within 24 hours. But three days have now passed since Eid, and we have received absolutely no feedback. If there are specific allegations against my son, they should tell us, else release him, just as they have released two other youths from our village."
Rahul Sisodia, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Babri police station, confirmed that Ghaziabad Police had arrived and taken Sameer into custody. He noted that Ghaziabad Police did not disclose the nature of the case or the specific reasons for his detention; that they simply stated that an investigative agency is currently probing a particular matter, and that Sameer was being taken into custody in connection with that probe.
Sunday's Arrests From Faridabad, Haryana
Earlier on Sunday, another Ghaziabad Police team had arrested Naushad Ali alias Lalu from Faridabad, whom they described as an active member of a Pakistani espionage ring, from Nacholi village. Meanwhile, another Uttar Pradesh Police team arrested Meera Prajapati, a resident of Sadar Police Station in village Aurangabad of Mathura, and a minor.
During interrogation, all three revealed that they had been recruited into the gang by gang leader Suhel Malik. According to police, the Suhel Gang's network is well-organised and spread across several states.
Like several of the earlier arrests, Naushad is accused of sending photos and videos of railway stations and security forces to Pakistan through WhatsApp groups. These arrests took the total number of members of this alleged spy ring who have been arrested to 22.
The case exploded after Ghaziabad Police on March 14 arrested six people from Kaushambi for allegedly transmitting classified information to Pakistan. Given the seriousness of the case, they later formed an SIT. The investigation revealed several names, leading to the arrest of nine individuals on March 17. During their interrogations, several more names emerged, leading to the arrests of Naushad, Meera, and the unidentified juvenile.
DCP (City) Dhawal Jaiswal said, "Naushad had started a puncture repair shop near a petrol pump in Nacholi about three months ago. Through the shop, he monitored the activities of the police and security forces, and sent important information to Pakistani agents, for which, he would get paid Rs 4,000-6,000 per photo."
Jaiswal added, "On the evening of March 16, Ghaziabad Police in plain clothes arrived at the petrol pump to locate Naushad. When pump employees were questioned about Naushad, they gave his name as Lalu, even as the accused stood nearby. Later, the cops managed to identify and arrest Naushad, and confiscated his mobile phone."
Investigation revealed that Ravindra, the former petrol pump manager, had helped Naushad open the puncture repair shop. He contacted Mumtaz, who already had a puncture shop at the Mewala Maharajpur petrol pump. Mumtaz then brought Naushad back from Kolkata and arranged for him to set up his shop at the pump in Nacholi.
According to police, both Naushad and Mumtaz are residents of Harchanda village in the Kati area of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The gang members often used old acquaintances to strengthen their spy network.
Investigation has also revealed that the Hindustan Petroleum pump was opened a year ago by Faridabad resident Shivshant Prasad Gupta. Santosh, an employee, said, "When police first raided the pump, they thought it was a case of theft or snatching. But when they were told of the sedition case against Naushad, everyone was shocked."
Naushad, An Important Node In Spy Ring?
According to police, Naushad was connected to the cross-border gang via various social media platforms. He was tasked with conducting recce of security force bases and other important locations like railway and Metro stations across the country, and sending their photos, videos, and GPS locations to foreign numbers.
Naushad had installed an app on his phone to capture photos and videos, and received training for it. He met Meera, who was associated with the same group, via social media. Meera had previously been arrested by Delhi Special Cell in a smuggling case, along with six associates.
According to the police, Naushad identified economically vulnerable young men, such as mobile mechanics, computer operators, and CCTV operators, and then lured them into the gang by offering them money. He used various social media platforms to find young men with criminal tendencies but no prior criminal history. To make it easier to trap someone, women were also recruited into the gang, which operated from across the border.
DSP Jaiswal said, "Naushad, Meera, and a minor have been arrested. Naushad has studied up to Class VIII and is originally from Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Meera has studied up to Class V and is originally from Sadar Bazaar, Mathura."
'Police Took My Son Away'
Naushad's mother, Namima Khatoon, stated that she learned of her son's arrest via a phone call on March 16. "We do not know the specific charges under which he has been arrested," she said. She added that he had traveled to Delhi in October along with his cousin and later established the puncture repair shop in Faridabad.
"I had borrowed Rs 30,000 and gave it to him; it was with that very money that he opened the shop in Faridabad.,” she said. She said that she last spoke to her son on March 15.
“On March 16, a phone call came from Delhi itself. We learned that the police had picked up my son and taken him away. He had gone to Delhi in October. He worked for four months, after which he opened a puncture repair shop,” Khatoon said.
Financial Hardship In The Family
According to his mother, Naushad had studied only up to the sixth grade in the village. He dropped out of school due to financial constraints. Given the family's precarious economic situation, he had left home to earn a livelihood. Khatoon said that Naushad did not send any money back home from there; on the contrary, the family would send him one or two thousand rupees every month from home to cover his expenses.
Naushad's father, Jalal, supports the family by working as a daily wage laborer. His uncle, Mohammad Alauddin, stated that initially, they were only aware that Naushad had suddenly gone missing.
"We received information that someone had picked him up near a petrol pump. We searched extensively and later even filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the police station. Now, it is difficult to believe the allegations that are surfacing against him,” Alauddin said.
Baffled Villagers
A villager named Diljit Kumar remarked that Naushad comes from a humble background adding there had never been any indication or report of him being involved in such activities in the past.
His family members, too, have expressed their shock regarding the allegations leveled against him.
Also Read:
