The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to a man accused of passing sensitive information to Pakistan during “Operation Sindoor,” observing that the prosecution failed to show any actual transmission of Army-related material.
The Court noted that while serious allegations were made, the State could not produce evidence demonstrating that any military movements or sensitive data had been shared across the border. It also highlighted that sanction under the Official Secrets Act was still pending — a procedural gap that stalled the commencement of trial.
The case revolves around Davender Singh, who came under police scrutiny in May 2025 after allegedly posting photographs of himself holding firearms on social media. An FIR under the Arms Act followed, and his phone was seized during that investigation. Soon after he obtained bail in that case, a second FIR was registered based on a disclosure statement recorded during interrogation, introducing allegations of espionage.
According to the prosecution, Singh had travelled to Pakistan in November 2024 as part of a religious pilgrimage to Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib. During the visit, he allegedly met individuals suspected of espionage links. Investigators claimed he remained in contact with one such person — described as a suspected handler — through messaging platforms after returning to India.
The prosecution further alleged that Singh recorded movements of Army vehicles and collected information about military establishments, including locations in Patiala. A video showing Army vehicles was recovered from his mobile phone, and investigators claimed some data had been deleted.
The defence countered that Singh’s travel was limited to supervised pilgrimage premises and denied any involvement in espionage. It also pointed out a timing gap: the alleged calls with Pakistan-based contacts occurred before the commencement of Operation Sindoor, with no communication alleged after the operation began.
During the hearing, the Court repeatedly asked whether any of the material recovered had actually been sent to Pakistan. The State could not substantiate this claim. The Court also took note that apart from the earlier Arms Act case, Singh had no criminal antecedents.
Considering the absence of concrete evidence of transmission and the pending sanction required under the Official Secrets Act, the Court ordered Singh’s release on bail.
