Rajasthan Police arrests man from Maharashtra for funding alleged ISI-linked espionage network

The Intelligence branch of the Rajasthan Police has arrested a 41-year-old man from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, for allegedly channeling funds to individuals involved in espionage activities on behalf of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), officials said on Wednesday.

Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Prafulla Kumar said that the investigation has uncovered what he described as a network involved in anti-national activities. The arrested individual, identified as Rafiq Chand Sheikh, a resident of Harsul in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district, is accused of operating a funding network for the ISI.

This arrest is part of a case registered by the CID (Intelligence) Rajasthan in January 2026 under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. In the same case, two other individuals—Jhabra Ram, a resident of Jaisalmer, and Sumit Kumar, a multi-tasking staff (MTS) at Dibrugarh Air Force Station in Assam—were previously arrested on charges of passing confidential information related to the Indian Army to ISI handlers.

Kumar stated that during the investigation, it was found that funds for espionage were sent to both accused by Rafiq Chand Sheikh, who received money from the ISI. The police are continuing their probe to identify other possible links in the network.

The arrests highlight ongoing efforts by Indian law enforcement to counter alleged foreign intelligence operations. The Official Secrets Act, 1923, is often invoked in cases involving unauthorized possession or sharing of information that could compromise national security.

The accused are expected to be produced before a court, where further details of the alleged conspiracy may emerge.