DRDO Guest House Manager in Jaisalmer Arrested for Spying, Leaking Defence Secrets to Pakistan’s ISI

Rajasthan Police arrested DRDO guest house manager Mahendra Singh in Jaisalmer for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s ISI, leaking sensitive details on missile tests, Army visits, and strategic defence operations.

Jaipur: In a major security breach, Rajasthan Police’s intelligence wing has arrested Mahendra Singh, the manager of a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) guest house near the Chandan Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, for allegedly working as an agent of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Singh, who had been under discreet surveillance for days, is accused of leaking highly sensitive defence information, including details of missile testing, weapons trials, and the movement of DRDO scientists and senior Indian Army officers. Officials said the arrest followed a week-long detention and intensive joint interrogation by police and central security agencies in Jaipur, during which incriminating evidence surfaced, leading to his formal arrest under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

Sensitive Information Leaked to Pakistani Handler 

According to IG (Security) Vishnukant, Singh, a resident of Almora in Uttarakhand, was in contact with a Pakistani handler and had been supplying sensitive details for years. The leaked information reportedly included:

• Schedules and details of visits by DRDO scientists and Indian Army officers.
• Information on missile testing and other weapons trials conducted at the Chandan Field Firing Range.

Long-Term Insider Threat 

Singh had been managing the DRDO guest house for the past four to five years. Police suspect he also passed on data related to strategic military operations, posing a significant security threat.

Authorities are now investigating how Singh established contact with the Pakistani operative, the exact nature of the exchanged intelligence, and whether other individuals were involved in the espionage network.