Lieutenant General DS Rana, Director General of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), has been removed from his post and reassigned to the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands in what experts describe as a punitive measure following a major intelligence scandal.
The unprecedented move follows the explosive leak of a classified document on social media platform Telegram, which allegedly details a covert false-flag operation orchestrated by India’s premier spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in the conflict-ridden region of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The operation, which targeted the tourist hub of Pahalgam on April 22, reportedly resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. The leaked document purportedly outlines a plan to carry out the attack and blame it on Pakistan 36 hours later — a revelation that has sparked outrage and ridicule both within India and abroad.
Sources familiar with the ongoing internal investigation suggest the document was entrusted to Lt Gen Rana for safekeeping, and preliminary findings point to his office as the origin of the leak. His abrupt transfer to the Andaman Islands — colloquially referred to in India as ‘Kala Pani’, historically associated with punishment — is seen as a clear sign of internal panic within India’s security establishment.
This is the latest in a series of dismissals triggered by the fallout from the Pahalgam incident. Earlier, Lt Gen MV Sachinder Kumar, then Northern Army Commander, was removed from his position, along with Indian Air Force Deputy Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar.
Defence analysts warn that these removals reflect mounting internal stress and may lead to a deeper psychological toll on India’s military leadership. “This is not just a failure of an operation — it’s an international embarrassment,” said a senior defence expert. “The credibility of India’s intelligence apparatus has taken a significant hit.”
Brigadier (Retd) Mahmood Shah, former law and order secretary for Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), said the Modi government has become ensnared in its own designs. “They are now the subject of global ridicule and even domestic skepticism,” he added.
Dr Ejaz Khan, former chairman of the International Relations Department at the University of Peshawar, called the episode a “serious crime” that has damaged India’s global image. “It revealed the extent to which India would go to demonize Pakistan, even if it meant targeting its own citizens,” he said.
