A Delhi couple is under investigation for links to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The case is the stage for an investigation called Operation Sameera, which is investigating suspected espionage activities and the sharing of sensitive information.
The couple was involved in gathering information about sensitive locations in and around the Delhi Cantonment area. Investigators are looking at whether the information was passed on to people connected with Pakistan’s intelligence network.
The case has made national security sensitive as the alleged activities were at locations related to security.
But the allegations are being examined, and neither has been found guilty of any offence.
What is Operation Sameera?
Operation Sameera is the name apparently given to the investigation into the suspected ISI-linked network.
The investigators are looking into the activities of the accused couple; their communication and their movements. A key part of the probe is alleged reconnaissance, or gathering information about sensitive areas.
Reconnaissance means observing a site and recording what it is like to live there or gathering information that could be used to plan an activity.
Even information that seems benign in an espionage context might be highly sensitive when it comes to military sites, security arrangements or personnel moving about.
So the investigation is into what information the couple supposedly collected, who they communicated with and whether the information was deliberately shared with a foreign intelligence agency.
#BigBreaking The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a couple for spying for Pakistan; they were actively working for the ISI. pic.twitter.com/iAD4DwLxyy
— Amit Bhardwaj (@AmmyBhardwaj) August 28, 2026
Couple accused of Recce
One of the main allegations against the couple is recce of sensitive locations.
The accused visited areas around Delhi Cantonment and collected information about them, the investigation revealed.
The couple visited and took photos, filmed videos or gathered other information in those visits, the investigators said.
The purpose of the alleged reconnaissance is also being investigated.
Police and security agencies generally look closely at such activities when they involve sensitive defence locations, particularly when there is evidence that the information may have been shared with someone outside India.
However, at this point the investigators still have to establish the complete chain of events.
The key questions are what exactly the couple observed, whether they recorded the information, and how the alleged information reached the suspected ISI network.
Why is Delhi Cantonment sensitive?
Delhi Cantonment area has various important military facilities and defence facilities.
And so information about military locations, security arrangements and access points can be considered sensitive because of this.
Security agencies monitor suspicious activity in those areas regularly. Frequent photographers or those who take pictures or record restricted areas without a clear reason can bring about attention when their activities are unusual.
The alleged recce in this case is therefore an important part of the investigation.
The couple’s activities, the authorities are still trying to determine whether the couple’s activities were innocent or if they were in fact part of a larger effort to gather information to feed a foreign intelligence network.
What Investigators Are Looking Into?
The investigation also includes the reported physical movement of the couple.
And investigators are looking at their digital communications and possible contacts.
And this can include checking phones, messages, call records and other digital evidence with the legal process.
Such evidence could then be used to determine whether the accused were communicating with suspected handlers or other members of an espionage network.
Investigators may also probe financial transactions and travel details if they believe these may provide information about the alleged network.
There is an objective to determine whether the couple is acting independently or in concert with others in the organization.
If more people are found to be involved, the case may be even larger.
How do ISI spy networks work?
Pakistan's ISI has previously been accused by Indian agencies of using individuals in India to collect sensitive information.
People recruited online or by personal contact can also be part of these networks. In some cases, it’s just social media, and you’ll be gradually persuaded to share your information.
Investigators will also look for patterns in the form of suspicious communications, unusual financial transactions, frequent contact with foreign numbers or unusual visits to sensitive locations.
But simply having contact with someone from another country does not prove espionage.
All the evidence has to be that a person knowingly engaged in an illegal activity or intentionally shared information that is protected.
That distinction is also important in the present case.
What is next?
The investigation into the Delhi couple is ongoing, the police spokesperson said.
The evidence gathered during the operation will be examined to determine if the alleged activities were connected to an ISI network.
The investigators will also need to determine what information was gathered and whether it was actually transmitted to anyone in Pakistan's intelligence establishment.
If the investigation finds evidence of a larger network, other suspects might also be investigated.
At present, the case is still in the investigation stage. The allegations against the couple have not been established in court.
Operation Sameera, however, has attracted attention because of an alleged targeting of sensitive defence areas in the national capital.
The case also underscores the increasing importance of digital communication in espionage investigations. In the traditional intelligence gathering process, you look for physical information and do reconnaissance, but today's networks have networks that can communicate with each other using phones, social media and encrypted systems.
Now authorities will need to establish the full extent of the alleged activities and whether the couple knowingly assisted a foreign intelligence network.
The evidence that will be collected from the accused, their alleged contacts and information they may have gathered from sensitive locations will probably be the focus of the investigation in the coming stages.
Until such facts are established, the couple is still accused and the allegations should not be taken as a proven conviction.
