In Gujarat's Bharuch district, Pravin Mishra was apprehended for allegedly transmitting confidential defence-related information to ISI handlers. Reports indicate that Mishra was honey-trapped by an individual posing as an IBM employee, who extracted sensitive data under the guise of a romantic relationship. The Gujarat CID, acting on intelligence from Military Intelligence Udhampur, uncovered communications between Mishra and the ISI operative, leading to his arrest.
The National Investigation Agency has intensified its probe into an espionage case in Visakhapatnam, arresting three more individuals, bringing the total number of apprehensions to 14. Among those arrested are 11 Indian Navy personnel and an Indian national of Pakistani origin. The accused are suspected of leaking sensitive defence information to ISI operatives. One of the newly arrested individuals, Amaan Salim Shaikh from Mumbai, is believed to have played a pivotal role in activating SIM cards used by the espionage network.
In a separate incident, Jyoti Malhotra, a travel vlogger from Hisar, Haryana, was arrested in May 2025 under the Official Secrets Act. Authorities allege that Malhotra was in contact with ISI-linked individuals and was being cultivated as an asset. While no evidence has emerged indicating she accessed military secrets, her arrest has sparked discussions about the vulnerability of social media influencers to foreign intelligence recruitment.
The ISI's tactics have also extended to exploiting vulnerable individuals. Reports suggest that the agency has been using drug addicts and mentally unstable individuals to infiltrate India and deliver messages to incarcerated terrorists. These couriers, often women and minors, have been linked to drug smuggling operations and have been found carrying encrypted messages intended for prisoners.
Further complicating matters, three Indian nationals were kidnapped in Iran under the pretense of being smuggled to Australia. Investigations have raised suspicions about ISI's involvement in the abductions, prompting heightened scrutiny from Indian security agencies and the Ministry of External Affairs. The Iranian government has pledged full cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
In Assam, political tensions have escalated following allegations against Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Gogoi of having ties to the ISI and claimed that his wife received payments from the Pakistani government. Gogoi has vehemently denied the allegations, labeling them as politically motivated attempts to tarnish his reputation ahead of upcoming elections. The Assam police have indicated plans to seek permission from the Lok Sabha Speaker to question Gogoi regarding these claims.
Amid these developments, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that the Indian Navy would lead the country's response to any future aggression from Pakistan. This statement follows the most intense fighting between the two nations in decades, including air and artillery exchanges. Singh highlighted the rapid deployment of naval assets under "Operation Sindoor" as a demonstration of India's readiness to counter threats.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan emphasized the evolving nature of modern warfare, describing it as networked, deceptive, and increasingly driven by domestic capabilities. He underscored the importance of narrative control, countering disinformation, and leveraging indigenous technologies to adapt to contemporary conflict dynamics.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, stated that both countries are nearing the completion of a troop drawdown along their border, restoring military levels to those before the April 2025 conflict. He cautioned that the broader targeting beyond Kashmir marks a dangerous trend and emphasized the need for structured crisis management mechanisms to prevent future escalations.