NIA Arrests Kolkata Man for Alleged Espionage Links with Pakistan

MP, May 22, 2026, Kolkata : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a man from Kolkata for allegedly spying for Pakistan.

The accused has been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with the Official Secrets Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

According to the NIA, the accused, identified as Zafar Riaz alias Rizvi, used to provide OTPs of Indian telecom numbers to a Pakistani Intelligence Officer (PIO) for activating WhatsApp accounts.

These accounts were allegedly used to communicate with another suspect, identified as Motiram Jat, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer involved in espionage activities.

About a year ago, Jat was arrested and subsequently dismissed from service. The NIA claimed that Jat was also involved in passing on classified information to the PIO.

In a statement released by the NIA, the agency said that Riaz had been travelling frequently to Pakistan since 2005.

The investigation revealed that during one such visit, he was allegedly contacted and cultivated by PIOs to carry out espionage activities in India in exchange for monetary benefits and a promise of Pakistani citizenship.

The agency further stated that Riaz had earlier been convicted in an espionage case under the IPC and the Official Secrets Act.

The NIA had also issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against him, and proceedings were underway to declare him a proclaimed offender.

It was also learnt that Riaz had married a Pakistani woman and that their children are Pakistani citizens.

Investigators are currently interrogating Riaz to ascertain who else may be involved in the espionage network and what information may have been passed on.