Nearly a month after an unauthorised solar-powered CCTV camera was found near Bathinda's high-security military area, Punjab Police on Wednesday said they have arrested the alleged mastermind behind the case. The accused was arrested near Batala in Gurdaspur district.
The accused has been identified as Simranjeet Singh, alias Nimbu (22), a resident of Sarai village in Amritsar district. He worked as a crane driver and was arrested on Tuesday, police said.
He is the third person to be apprehended in the case. Earlier, police had arrested his two alleged associates — Ashok Singh (40), a cook, and Akashdeep Singh (22), who is unemployed. Both are also residents of Sarai village.
Bathinda SP (City) Narinder Singh said Simranjeet is the key accused in the case. The SP said Simranjeet had earlier travelled to Dubai for work as a driver before returning to India. Police suspect he may have come in contact with anti-national elements during his stay abroad. He is also facing a case under the NDPS Act. According to the investigation, he and his associates travelled by bus to Bathinda and installed the CCTV camera at a location shared by a person based overseas.
Police said Ashok allegedly arranged logistics, provided technical assistance and procured the SIM card used in the camera. Akashdeep, along with Simranjeet, allegedly installed the device at the site.
The solar-powered CCTV camera, fitted with a SIM card, was mounted on an electricity pole near a cement factory on the Bathinda–Sriganganagar road.
According to the police, the camera remained active for nearly three months and allegedly transmitted footage to handlers based in Pakistan and Canada.
The CCTV camera was found a few kilometres away from Bathinda Military Station, which is one of Asia's largest military cantonments and serves as the headquarters of the Indian Army's X Corps.
The Indian Air Force Station and Bathinda Airport are also situated nearby, making the incident a significant security concern. Sources said the camera was discovered by the Thermal police while probing a road accident in the area. The discovery led to a counter-intelligence investigation.
Police have registered a case at the Thermal police station under the Official Secrets Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The investigation is ongoing.
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