Lucknow: The ATS in Uttar Pradesh is intensifying its look into a suspected Pakistan-backed espionage network; it has examined 20 WhatsApp groups and over 500 phone numbers. Once the Varanasi resident was arrested on May 22, 2025, the investigation found a large number of digital communications believed to distribute sensitive information and propaganda against India.
The ATS apprehended a man called Tufail Alam, 45 years old and living in Doshipura, for allegedly spying on Pakistan’s ISI. The police say that Alam was a member of various ISI-led WhatsApp groups, during which he transmitted extremist information and pictures of strategic spots such as Namo Ghat, Rajghat, Varanasi railway station, Gyanvapi, and the Red Fort. According to the ATS, Alam spoke over the phone with more than 600 contacts in Pakistan. He passed along videos made by Maulana Saad Rizvi, who leads the Pakistan TLP.
The official ATS statement said that the investigation began when solid intelligence suggested Alam was connected to Pakistani-backed groups that aimed to upend India’s unity and cause trouble between communities. “He gave instructions to contact Nafisa from Faisalabad, who helped him become a member of these networks,” said an ATS spokesperson. Because of what they found, the agency’s Varanasi team looked closer look at the WhatsApp groups Alam was running.
The ATS claims that Alam has used 20 WhatsApp groups, each with hundreds of members, to spread radical views and organize espionage missions. Five hundred phone numbers, mainly connected to Pakistan, are now under observation to track further operatives and those linked to India. The agency is reviewing Alam’s financial records, as officials suspect he accepted funds from Pakistan-based handlers to help with the youth program.
This action comes shortly after many similar detentions in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for allegedly spying on the ISI. Days earlier, Haryana Police arrested Jyoti Rani after discovering she had shared confidential details with a Pakistani High Commission official via the internet. Charges have been brought against Alam by the ATS under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Official Secrets Act. The ATS claims he threatened India’s health and safety.
Security experts believe that because social media is open to anyone, these networks use it to recruit and influence individuals. This makes them a serious threat to national security. “It’s clear from this operation, involving hundreds of contacts and several groups, that these networks are intense in these countries,” the retired intelligence officer noted. The ATS is partnering with key government agencies to discover all network details and possible members.
Both the Uttar Pradesh government and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have promised to stop these activities by urging the ATS to aggressively follow up on all clues. While the investigation progresses, authorities are asking everyone to watch for suspicious internet activity and stay alert to stop digital espionage.