Pakistan's ISI using 'spy grooms' to lure women in Punjab
ISI has trained its spies not only to don traditional Punjabi attire and speak the local dialect fluently in order to set honey traps for women in Punjab, sources say.
In Short
- Security agencies have come across cases of Pakistani spies luring women via marraige.
- ISI training spies to act like NRI men in order to lure women.
- A few such spies have been arrested in Punjab.
Pakistan's ISI has found a novel way to snoop on and disturb the law and order situation in Punjab, which involves sullying the sacred bond of marriage.
Investigations have revealed that the spy agency is using much-sought-after NRI grooms to lure women from the state.
In the past, the ISI has used beautiful women with made-up Indian names as honey trap for military personnel.
Sources say the agency is making a bid to revive terrorism in Punjab that has witnessed decades of bloodshed in the past.
ISI has trained its spies not only to don traditional Punjabi attire but also to speak the local dialect fluently.
Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorists have allegedly been roped in for this mission. These spies, who claim to be non-resident Indians, hold citizenship of various foreign countries.
THE 'AUSTRIAN' PAK SPY
A Pakistani spy, Ahsan Ul Haq, who was arrested on October 12 from Jalandhar, had an Austrian passport.
Sources say these operatives first enter Nepal and then sneak into Punjab via Uttar Pradesh. They meet their targets on social media, usually Facebook, and then exchange contact information after introducing themselves as NRIs.
Sources say the spies meet the local women and then propose marriage. Ahsan Ul Haq had also met Balwinder Kaur, a resident of Mukundpur village, on Facebook in 2011.
Investigations have revealed that Ahsan managed to reach Jalandhar in 2012 and allegedly got married to Balwinder, a Sikh woman.
He had visited Punjab five times between 2012 and 2017. When arrested, he was on a three-month visa, which was valid till November 29 this year. He had reached Jalandhar on August 30.
ARREST
"Ahsan Ul Haq is divorced. He had migrated to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan and married an Austrian woman. He also managed to get Austrian citizenship after the marriage. He divorced his Austrian wife after three years in 2009. He has been arrested for violating IPC 419, 420 and 471. The investigation is on," said ACP Manpreet Singh Dhillon.
After marrying his Punjabi bride, he also obtained an Aadhaar card and a PAN card. He had purchased a plot in Alipur village near Jalandhar on the basis of forged documents.
Ahsan was arrested on a tip-off. He has not confessed during interrogation but Indian security agencies believe the motive behind this marriage was spying.
THE GOLGAPPA SELLER
Two other alleged spies who had lured local girls were arrested seven years ago from Jalandhar and Ferozepur, sources say.
The Jalandhar police on August 21, 2010 had arrested Mohammad Alam, who had entered Punjab from Nepal. He was arrested while selling golgappas at a traffic intersection.
He later confessed that he along with other spies were trained to befriend women and then lure them into marriage. The idea was to get Indian passports besides other documents.
Ferozepur police had also arrested 24-year old Rajaula, another alleged Pak spy, in August 2010. He was accused of luring as many as three local girls into his trap.
In fact, one of the victims alerted the police after she came to know that she was not the only one he was wooing.
Rajaula's modus operandi was also the same. He had managed to enter Punjab from Nepal and started a catering business from the Housing Board Colony of Ferozepur.
He also managed to get an Indian driving licence and a voter ID card, pre-requisites to get a passport.