A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official who was arrested for alleged espionage activities by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) earlier this week had information and photographs on his phone that he allegedly shared with his Pakistani handlers, a senior government official said on Tuesday (May 27, 2025).
The arrested Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) reportedly told CRPF officials that he was “trapped” and could not escape his circumstances once caught in it.
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Monthly payout
ASI Moti Ram Jat, who was dismissed on May 21, was examined by the CRPF for several days before he was handed over to the NIA.
“When he was questioned, conversations with his Pakistani handlers were found on his phone. He had not deleted the content. The NIA would interrogate him further to see if he had deleted any of the messages. He did show remorse, adding that he kept sinking in the trap and could not come out of it,” said the official.
The official said that the ASI was receiving money from a foreign account in his wife’s bank account to the tune of about ₹3,000 per month.
Pahalgam posting
As reported, Pakistani agents had approached Mr. Moti Ram Jat via social media, first posing as a woman, and later extracting information, including on the movement of convoys.
Before his arrest, he was posted with the 116 battalion in the Pahalgam area for law and order duty. Terrorists struck at the Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22 killing 26 civilians.
Social media rules
A CRPF official said that during a “random monitoring” drive on its personnel’s social media activity, it was found that the ASI had recently added a “new friend” on one of his social media accounts.
“At every congregation, CRPF personnel are advised to follow certain norms on social media platforms so that they are not tricked by the enemy. The social media guidelines are reiterated frequently,” the official noted.
The NIA said that the accused was actively involved in espionage activity and had been sharing classified information related to national security with Pakistan intelligence officers since 2023.
He has been remanded to the NIA’s custody till June 6 by a special court at the Patiala House Court in New Delhi.
Published – May 27, 2025 10:04 pm IST
