Delhi visa scam: Pakistani embassy's honey trap exposed, Indian Army secrets at risk

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Security agencies have uncovered another espionage network operating under the guise of the Pakistani High Commission. In this case, Wasim Akram, a civil engineer from Palwal, Haryana, was arrested for allegedly spying for a Pakistani official. This arrest once again demonstrates how the Pakistani Embassy's visa desk is being misused for anti-India activities.

According to sources, Wasim Akram was arrested on Tuesday under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Official Secrets Act (OSA). Investigations have revealed that Akram worked for Zafar, alias Muzammil Hussain, an official at the Pakistani High Commission. Akram met Zafar when he was applying for a visa to visit relatives in Kasur, Pakistan.

His visa was initially rejected, but after Akram paid a bribe of 20,000 rupees, it was approved. When he returned from Pakistan in May 2022, Officer Zafar maintained contact with him via WhatsApp.

It is alleged that Zafar lured Akram with a commission and used his bank account to fund a "visa facilitation fund." Approximately five lakh rupees were transferred to Akram's account, from which he returned 2.3 lakh rupees (including 1.5 lakh rupees in cash) to the official. Furthermore, Akram provided the Pakistani official with Indian SIM cards, OTPs, and sensitive information related to Indian Army personnel.

Officials said this "Palwal module" was operating on the same pattern as the modules previously exposed in Malerkotla and Nuh. The Malerkotla case, uncovered earlier this year under Operation Sindoor, involved Pakistani official Danish luring locals with the promise of visas and using them for espionage. Similarly, in Nuh, a man named Arman was arrested for allegedly providing videos of the Defense Expo and SIM cards. This pattern clearly shows that Pakistani High Commission employees exploit visa applicants through corruption and then force them into espionage.