Shimla/Dehra, May 31,
Security agencies have been put on high alert after a foreign national with past travel history to Pakistan and China was detained by Army Intelligence near the highly sensitive Army Headquarters, ARTRAC (Army Training Command), in Shimla. The individual, later identified as Prateek Stylom, a US citizen of Indian origin from Sector-45, Noida, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, was spotted moving suspiciously near the ARTRAC campus on May 28.
Take Free HimachalScape Subscription Complete this form
Choose Your Membership
Stylom was seen questioning army personnel about the identity of the Army Commander and the number of officers posted in the area. Army Intelligence teams, monitoring CCTV footage, intercepted him on Friday, and he was taken in for questioning after his activities were flagged as suspicious.
Stylom claimed to work as a briefer with Coca-Cola and stated that his job had enabled him to travel to 64 countries, including Pakistan in 2005 and China in 2008. He has been staying in Room No. 307 of Hotel Prestige in Shimla since May 28. His father, a Colonel in the 62nd Commission of the Indian Army, died of COVID-19 in 2022.
Though his questioning initially raised alarms, sources in the Intelligence Bureau said that no objectionable material was recovered from his possession. Stylom also told the interrogators that he is an alumnus of a military school, and suggested that he might have friends currently serving in ARTRAC or other commands of the Indian Army.
Given the strategic sensitivity of ARTRAC, which hosts high-level operational and doctrinal planning for the Indian Armed Forces, his presence in the area has triggered a thorough verification of his background. Intelligence agencies remain alert, especially in light of Operation Sindhur, under which surveillance has intensified on any suspicious activity near military installations.
Following his detention, Stylom was handed over to the Sadar Police Station, where he is currently being interrogated. Local police confirmed that the questioning continued late into the night, but as of now, no formal charges have been filed.
The case is under active review as agencies are not taking any chances with individuals found near sensitive military zones.
Also, in a separate development, the Dehra Police in Kangra district arrested 20-year-old Abishek Singh from Sukahar village. Objectionable content, considered sensitive to national security, was allegedly discovered on his mobile phone. Superintendent of Police Mayank Choudhary confirmed that the college dropout had been under surveillance based on a tip-off. Singh was arrested on Wednesday after a raid at his residence and was produced in court the following day, where he was remanded to police custody. SP Choudhary stated that “further investigation is underway, and action will be taken as per law.”
