Earlier than Jyoti Malhotra, there was Madhuri Gupta: She was convicted in 2018 for spying for Pakistan

A few years earlier than YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra made headlines for espionage costs, a overseas service officer’s case had shaken the corridors of energy in India.

In 2010, Madhuri Gupta, an Indian diplomat serving in Pakistan on the time, was arrested for spying for Pakistan. The investigation discovered that she was honey-trapped by Pakistan-based intelligence operatives whereas she posted within the nation.

Gupta was convicted of espionage in 2018 and was sentenced to 3 years in jail. She died in 2021 on the age of 64 whereas her enchantment towards her conviction was pending within the Delhi Excessive Courtroom.

In espionage, a honey entice refers back to the utilization of romantic or sexual relationships to get data or entry through focused people. Such data may very well be extracted both through blackmailing the focused particular person —who may very well be a authorities official, enterprise government, or politician— with the proof of their illicit romantic or sexual relationship or by manipulating them emotionally.

What was Madhur Gupta spy case?

Two operatives of Pakistan’s Inter-Providers Intelligence (ISI) have been concerned in honey-trapping Gupta. They laid the entice when she was posted on the Indian Excessive Fee in Islamabad because the Second Secretary (Press and Info).

Whereas Gupta was arrested in 2010, she had been passing data to her Pakistani handlers since 2008, in line with the prosecution’s case towards her.

Two ISI operatives, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed, recruited Gupta in 2008 and he or she handed on data until her arrest in 2010.

After her arrest, the Delhi Police recovered e-mails despatched to ISI handlers from numerous digital devices, akin to laptops and Blackberry cell phones. She additionally handed on delicate data personally to ISI handlers.

The courtroom famous on the time of her conviction that, in one in all her emails to her ISI handlers, she had promised to gather details about hydroelectric tasks in Jammu and Kashmir.

“It’s seen that the accused was unable to provide such data however her intention of passing on such data and her going to Jammu after giving the false excuse of attending marriage factors out her intention of serving to the enemy nation. She had been giving data concerning numerous postings of officers of defence, MEA and HCI in addition to their household particulars, which may have precipitated hazard to the life and safety to mentioned officers and their household,” the courtroom mentioned.

How ISI turned Madhuri Gupta right into a spy

Gupta’s case has all the weather of an espionage thrillers — actual tales are, in any case, typically higher than fictional tales.

Jamshed, who glided by the identify of Jim, was the one who turned romantically concerned along with her with the clear intention to honey-trap her. He was a number of years her junior and, as per an e mail cited by The Print, she deliberate to marry him sooner or later.

A girl journalist had put Jamshed and Rana in contact with Gupta after they helped get a e book she was looking for, in line with The Instances of India.

The newspaper reported that Gupta was a lot into the connection that she was keen to covert to Islam to marry Jim.

Jamshed and Rana “skilfully exploited Gupta’s skilled grievances, manipulating her feelings to compromise her loyalty”, famous Raj Shekhar Jha in ToI.

As soon as the Ministry of Exterior Affairs received inputs that Gupta was compromised as she was exhibiting curiosity in issues outdoors her area, the ministry referred to as her to Delhi on the pretext of needing her for the preparations of the upcoming SAARC Summit. She was arrested from her home after she arrived in Delhi.