Man held on charge of spying in Punjab's Jalandhar

A 36-year-old man was arrested by the Jalandhar police for allegedly providing secret information about Indian Air Force and Army installations to Pakistan-based pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla, officials said on Wednesday.

Harpal Singh, a resident of Bhatija village, was arrested near Kartarpur in Punjab's Jalandhar district on Tuesday, they said.

Chawla, a pro-Khalistan leader, was removed from the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee after India voiced its concern over the presence of Khalistani separatists in the panel in July this year.

Harpal was also allegedly in contact with some dreaded terrorists, including Khalistan Zindabad Force chief Ranjit Singh Neeta and Kulwant Singh Mathada, who is promoting the Referendum 2020.

Both Neeta and Mathada were hiding in Pakistan.

"Harpal was providing secret information about the Indian Air Force station and Army installations in Jalandhar," a police official said.

He was using WhatsApp and Messanger applications for sharing the information, the official said.

Police have recovered seven mobile handsets from him.

A case under Section 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the Government of India) of the IPC had been registered against the accused, police said.