Nearly a month after an unauthorised solar-powered CCTV camera, allegedly used to monitor the movement of security personnel near Bathinda’s high-security military zone, was uncovered, the police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested the alleged kingpin of the operation near Batala in Gurdaspur district.

The accused, Simranjeet Singh, alias Nimbu (22), a resident of Sarai village in Amritsar district who worked as a crane driver, was arrested on Tuesday, according to the police.

He is the third person to be arrested in the case, after his associates — Ashok Singh (40), a cook, and Akashdeep Singh (22), who is unemployed, both residents of the same village.

Bathinda SP (City) Narinder Singh said Simranjeet was the main accused in the case.

“Simranjeet had earlier gone to Dubai to work as a driver but later returned. He may have come into contact with anti-national elements during his stay there. He is facing a case under the NDPS Act. Along with his associates, he travelled to Bathinda by bus to install the camera at a location shared by a person based abroad," he said.

The SP claimed that Ashok had provided logistical support, technical inputs and a SIM card, while Akashdeep, along with Simranjeet, had installed the camera at the site.

The solar-powered CCTV camera, fitted with a SIM card, was found mounted on an electricity pole near a cement factory on the Bathinda-Sriganganagar road.

The police claimed it had remained operational for nearly three months, transmitting footage to handlers based in Pakistan and Canada.

The site where the camera was installed is a few kilometres from Bathinda Military Station, one of Asia’s largest military cantonments and the headquarters of the Indian Army’s X Corps.

The Air Force Station and the Bathinda airport are also located nearby, making the incident a serious security concern.

Sources said the camera was detected by the Thermal police while they were investigating a road accident in the area, following which a counter-intelligence probe was launched.

A case has been registered at the Thermal police station under the Official Secrets Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act in this regard.