A CCTV camera mounted along a highway in Punjab has now become the centre of a major espionage investigation involving alleged cross-border surveillance and suspected Pakistani handlers. Punjab Police has arrested a Pathankot resident, identified as Baljit Singh, accusing him of secretly monitoring Indian Army and paramilitary movement near the sensitive Pathankot-Jammu corridor and sharing the footage with handlers linked to Pakistan.
According to investigators, the case points to a new pattern of low-cost but high-impact surveillance operations using easily available internet-enabled devices.
According to Punjab Police, Baljit Singh, a resident of Chakk Dhariwal village in Pathankot district, allegedly installed an internet-based CCTV camera at a shop located near a bridge on National Highway-44 – the crucial Pathankot-Jammu route frequently used by Army and paramilitary convoys.
Investigators suspect the camera was strategically positioned to capture real-time movement of defence vehicles and personnel travelling towards Jammu and Kashmir. The live feed was allegedly transmitted to Pakistan-based handlers.
The police believe the accused had been passing on sensitive movement-related information through the CCTV system and was allegedly receiving instructions from a person operating out of Dubai.
The accused has been identified as Baljit Singh of Chakk Dhariwal village in Pathankot district. Police say he confessed during questioning that he had installed the camera earlier this year.
According to a report, investigators are now probing his communication trail, financial transactions and possible links with a wider espionage network operating in border states. Police also claimed that Singh allegedly received around Rs 40,000 from an unidentified person in Dubai for the operation.
Instead of attempting to infiltrate a military facility directly, investigators say the accused used a commercially available internet-enabled CCTV camera that could remotely stream live footage. Police believe the setup allowed handlers sitting outside India to monitor troop and convoy movement in real time.
Officials suspect the camera was deliberately installed near a strategic stretch of the highway because military and paramilitary convoys frequently pass through the route connecting Punjab to Jammu and Kashmir.
Security experts have increasingly warned about the use of ordinary digital devices — including Wi-Fi cameras, drones and mobile applications — for intelligence gathering. In this case, police suspect the CCTV feed itself became the surveillance tool.
Punjab Police has not publicly disclosed the full operational details of the investigation, but officials said preliminary intelligence inputs triggered scrutiny around suspicious surveillance activity in the area.
During questioning, Baljit Singh allegedly admitted to installing the camera in January and sharing access to the live feed with handlers. Police later recovered the CCTV equipment from his possession.
The investigation is now focused on identifying the overseas contacts involved, the communication channels used and whether others helped install or operate the surveillance setup.
A statement shared by the official X account of the Pathankot Police said the accused had been apprehended in connection with espionage-related activity and that further investigation was underway.
The arrest comes amid a series of espionage-related crackdowns in North India over the past year. Punjab Police and central agencies have repeatedly warned about attempts by Pakistan-linked operatives to gather information on military installations, troop movement and sensitive infrastructure using local recruits, social media contacts and digital surveillance devices.
Investigators are now examining whether the Pathankot case was an isolated operation or part of a broader network targeting defence movement corridors in border states.
Pathankot remains one of India’s most strategically important military zones because of its proximity to both the Pakistan border and Jammu and Kashmir. The region houses critical defence infrastructure and serves as a major transit point for troop movement.
The area has remained under heightened security scrutiny since the 2016 terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force Station.
Source: News18