Kolkata man married to Pakistani national arrested by NIA for spying for Pakistan Intelligence
The NIA has booked Zafar under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Official Secrets Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Kolkata resident, Zafar Riaz alias Rizvi, for allegedly conducting espionage activities on behalf of Pakistan Intelligence Officers (PIOs) and passing confidential security-related information as part of a wider anti-India terror conspiracy.
Zafar was taken into custody after a Look-Out Circular had been issued against him. Proceedings to declare him a Proclaimed Offender were already underway at the time of his arrest.
The NIA has booked Zafar under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Official Secrets Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Notably, Zafar is married to a Pakistani national and his children hold Pakistani citizenship.
A Pak-backed spy, Zafar Riaz @ Rizvi of Kolkata, has been arrested in an espionage racket, in which he was engaged in clandestinely passing confidential security-related information to Pakistan Intelligence Officers (PIOs) as part of an anti-India terror conspiracy. pic.twitter.com/VNYuoyfF0D
— NIA India (@NIA_India) May 20, 2026
This is not Zafar's first brush with the law, investigators revealed that he had previously been convicted in an espionage case under the Indian Penal Code and the Official Secrets Act. He had also been travelling frequently between India and Pakistan since 2005, during which Pakistan Intelligence Officers allegedly recruited and cultivated him for espionage activities in exchange for financial inducements and the promise of Pakistani citizenship.
Among the specific activities attributed to Zafar, the NIA alleged that he provided One-Time Passwords (OTPs) linked to Indian telecom mobile numbers to a PIO, enabling the activation of WhatsApp accounts. These accounts were then allegedly used by the PIO to covertly communicate with another accused in the case, Motiram Jat, who is also alleged to have passed sensitive security-related information to the Pakistani handler.
The NIA has stated that investigations are ongoing to identify other individuals linked to the espionage network and to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.