The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) has arrested a man named Tufail from Varanasi for allegedly spying for Pakistan and sharing sensitive information with contacts across the border.

According to a statement by the UP ATS, cited by Hindustan Times, Tufail is accused of circulating videos of banned Pakistani terror outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik’s leader Maulana Saad Rizvi in various WhatsApp groups.

He also allegedly posted messages calling for ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’, revenge for the Babri Masjid demolition, and the implementation of Sharia law in India.

The agency said Tufail was found sharing photographs of sensitive locations, including Rajghat, Namo Ghat, Gyanvapi, Varanasi railway station, and Delhi’s Red Fort, with individuals in Pakistan.

He also allegedly distributed WhatsApp group links in Varanasi to facilitate communication between local users and Pakistani handlers.

The investigation further revealed that Tufail had been in touch with around 600 Pakistani nationals, including a woman named Nafisa, whose husband is reportedly a serving officer in the Pakistani Army, according to the Hindustan Times.

His arrest has sparked concern over security lapses in Varanasi, a city that is both a religious hub and a politically significant seat as it is held by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This arrest comes on the heels of a similar case involving Jyoti Malhotra, a Haryana-based YouTuber, who was arrested last week for allegedly sharing sensitive information with a Pakistani intelligence operative.

She was reportedly in contact with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a staff member at the Pakistani High Commission, since November 2023. Danish was expelled by India on May 13 for alleged espionage activities.

Malhotra, who ran the YouTube channel “Travel with JO”, was arrested from New Aggarsain Extension in Hisar and charged under the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.