NIA files chargesheet against 13 in Ghaziabad espionage case

The National Investigation Agency has filed charges against 13 people in the Ghaziabad Espionage Case.

They are accused of entering restricted sites, planting spy cameras, and sending geo-tagged photos and videos of sensitive locations to contacts in Pakistan. Investigators also say the group helped these contacts based in Pakistan to get and use Indian SIM cards.

The chargesheet was filed before the Special Court NIA, Lucknow, under Sections 61(2) and 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act; and Sections 13, 17, and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The accused named are Praveen, Raj Valmiki, Shiva Valmiki, Ritik Gangwar, Sameer alias Shooter, Durgesh Nishad, Naushad, Gagan Kumar, Vivek, Shivraj, Meera Thakur and Shane Iram alias Mahak. A Detailed Investigation Report against five juveniles was submitted to the Juvenile Justice Board in Ghaziabad on 18 May 2026.

The case began as FIR No. 76/2026, registered on 14 March 2026 at Kaushambi Police Station in Ghaziabad. It was filed under the BNS and the Official Secrets Act, with Section 18 of the UAPA added later. So far, 21 people have been arrested. The investigation is still ongoing for others involved. According to the NIA, the accused conspired to harm India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity. They are said to have entered important restricted areas, set up cameras, and sent location-tagged images and videos abroad. The group also helped supply Indian SIM cards and collect exact GPS coordinates of sensitive sites.

The agency called the combination of illegal entry, secret recording, and the sending of information abroad a threat to national security. The press release does not mention the enemy country, name the sites, list what was recovered, or explain how the network was discovered. For now, the official record shows charges under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), conspiracy, and UAPA against a group accused of combining local access with direction from the handlers based in the enemy country.

By filing both an adult chargesheet and a juvenile report, investigators showed they saw this as a coordinated operation, not just separate incidents. Adding the UAPA after the first FIR suggests the investigation expanded from just unauthorised photography to possible involvement in a bigger conspiracy.

The method described by the NIA is not new. Local helpers gather visual information that foreign agents cannot easily get on their own. Using spy cameras means they do not need to stay in one place for long. Geo-tags make regular photos useful for targeting.

Indian SIM cards allow handlers to communicate within the country, making it harder to trace them immediately. The focus on “precise GPS coordinates” shows this was more than just casual photography. One arrest against 13 names in this chargesheet, and five juveniles, implies that other adults remain in custody or are being questioned.

The agency says the investigation is ongoing, so more arrests or another chargesheet could follow. The NIA’s statement is brief as usual, listing names, laws, the alleged conspiracy, and the ongoing investigation. The public core of the allegation is nevertheless clear.

A group of Indian nationals is accused of crossing into restricted zones, planting cameras, filming sensitive sites, attaching coordinates and sending the product to an enemy-linked recipient while also supplying SIM cards.

The state has responded with a combined chargesheet under the new criminal code, the Official Secrets Act, and the UAPA. For now, 13 adults are facing a special court, and five juveniles are before the Juvenile Justice Board because their actions are said to have threatened the nation’s sovereignty, unity, integrity, and security.