Farmer-Turned-Spy: Jaisalmer Man Held for Leaking Border Secrets to ISI

It is worrisome how, when a scenario escalates and endangers the country’s situation or security, everyone suddenly awakens from a deep slumber and becomes vocal about issues such as safety, unity, secularism, and the responsibilities of the government toward its citizens.

Following the Islamic terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the identification of three terrorists involved in the incident, alongside efforts to trace Pakistani citizens residing in India and plans to deport them, the Rajasthan Police Intelligence Department has arrested a Jaisalmer resident, Pathan Khan, for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) over the past 12 years.

He reportedly travelled to Pakistan in 2013, during which he was approached and recruited by ISI operatives. He allegedly received espionage training, financial aid, and communication tools. He assumed a fake identity under the name Ravi Kishan, a local farmer, and claimed to own farmland in the Zero RD area of Noor-ki-Chakki village, located near the India-Pakistan border, a highly sensitive zone guarded by BSF personnel.

Pathan is accused of collecting and transmitting sensitive information regarding Border Security Force deployments, troop movement, and infrastructure along the India-Pakistan border, including photos, videos, and detailed reports on Indian security operations. He reportedly used social media platforms and forged SIM cards, and maintained contact with Pakistani handlers through covert digital channels. Intelligence officials suspect he had access to images and videos of BSF forces and confidential information about border security sites.

He was initially detained on March 18, 2025, by Rajasthan Police’s intelligence unit and was officially arrested on May 1, 2025, under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. He is currently in police custody and undergoing interrogation. Authorities are probing the extent of classified information he may have passed on and are working to identify any potential accomplices.

Sanjay Agarwal, Director General of the Intelligence Department, confirmed the details surrounding Pathan Khan and his alleged espionage activities.

This case raises serious concerns about national security, highlights vulnerabilities in border intelligence operations, and reveals the potential for long-term infiltration. India’s intelligence agencies are now working to uncover how one individual, posing as a farmer- may have compromised border security for years without detection.

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