The Double Life of Diplomat Madhuri Gupta: Spy, Seduction, and Espionage

Fifteen years before YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra’s alleged espionage case, India faced a similar betrayal from within. In 2010, Madhuri Gupta, a mid-level Indian Foreign Service officer posted in Islamabad, was arrested for spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Fluent in Urdu and passionate about Sufism and poetry, Gupta’s scholarly image masked her role as a double agent.

In the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, intelligence agencies grew suspicious of a mole in India’s High Commission. Gupta, serving as Second Secretary (Press & Information), came under scrutiny after classified leaks were traced back to her. Top officials, including IB chief Rajiv Mathur and R&AW chief KC Verma, oversaw a covert operation that planted false information to confirm her betrayal.

She was summoned to Delhi under the guise of helping with the SAARC Summit and arrested on April 22, 2010, by Delhi Police under the Official Secrets Act. Investigators revealed she had compromised the identities of Indian intelligence officials in Pakistan, including R&AW’s station chief, causing significant operational damage.

According to investigators, Gupta had fallen victim to a classic honeytrap. Pakistani agents, including a younger operative named Jamshed, manipulated her emotionally. She expressed desires to convert to Islam, marry Jamshed, and move to Istanbul. Another ISI handler, Mudassar Raza Rana, used her interests in literature and Sufism to deepen her involvement. Gupta communicated through a Blackberry phone and emails set up by the handlers, leaking sensitive data—including defense and infrastructure plans from Jammu & Kashmir.

Charged under the Official Secrets Act in 2012, Gupta spent 21 months in Tihar Jail before getting bail. She was convicted in 2018 and lived in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, awaiting appeal. She died in 2021 at age 64, with her appeal still pending in the Delhi High Court.