Delhi couple held for nexus with ISI espionage network

The Delhi Police Special Cell arrested a young couple from the city for working for Pakistan-based intelligence operatives. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Delhi Police Special Cell arrested a young couple from the city for allegedly working for Pakistan-based intelligence operatives and helping an ISI-backed espionage network procure Indian SIM cards and recruit people for reconnaissance of cantonment areas, officials said on Friday (August 28, 2026).The accused, identified as 25-year-old Md. Sahil, a resident of Sarai Kale Khan, and his 21-year-old wife, Sameera, were recruited through social media and provided logistical support to Pakistani handlers, the police alleged. Two mobile phones containing incriminating conversations with Pakistani intelligence operatives were recovered from them.The Special Cell alleged that Sahil came into contact with a Pakistani agent on Instagram in 2024 through Sameera, and that the agent subsequently introduced the couple to a Pakistan-based intelligence operative, who the police said cultivated them and offered financial incentives to work for the network.The couple was allegedly tasked with providing logistical support to the network in Delhi, recruiting more individuals for espionage and carrying out field operations.The police said Sahil and Sameera procured eight Indian SIM cards in 2024 and 2025, and sent them to Pakistan through Dubai. They were paid ₹30,000 by their Pakistani handlers for the SIM cards, officers said.The numbers were subsequently activated on WhatsApp in Pakistan, after which the Pakistani operatives allegedly used them to enter Indian WhatsApp groups and gather information. The accounts were also used to approach Indians to obtain sensitive information, police said.Sahil was assigned the additional task of recruiting people to conduct reconnaissance of cantonment areas at different locations in India, police said, adding that he was also asked to provide details of Army personnel whose court-martial proceedings were pending before a tribunal.The probeThe Special Cell said the investigation began after its Northern Range unit received information about an ISI-backed Pakistani intelligence network operating in Delhi-NCR. The information was developed further, leading investigators to identify individuals providing logistical support to the network.Sahil was arrested first, and forensic analysis of his mobile phone revealed incriminating chats with Pakistani agents, police said. During interrogation, he disclosed the alleged involvement of Sameera, leading to her arrest.The forensic examination of the couple's mobile phones purportedly revealed conversations between them and their Pakistani handlers. The police said their questioning had also provided details about the functioning of the network and the manner in which Pakistan-based operatives coordinated with individuals in India through social media and encrypted communication platforms.Sahil, born in 2001, has a BA degree from the Indira Gandhi National Open University and had worked with a lawyer while planning to pursue a bachelor’s in law. He left the job in June 2025 and has been unemployed since then. Sameera, born in 2005, completed her Class 12 in Delhi and later pursued a BA through correspondence. She was working at a call centre in Noida before her arrest. Published - August 28, 2026 07:32 pm IST