A civilian staff member posted at an Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Assam was arrested on Sunday for allegedly passing sensitive information to Pakistan-based handlers, a news report said. The accused was identified as Sumit Kumar, who hails from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, the report added.
It was a joint operation by the IAF intelligence and the state intelligence of Rajasthan that reportedly exposed Sumit Kumar's activities. A multi-tasking staffer at the Chabua Air Force Station in Assam, he is alleged to have been exchanging classified information for money with Pakistani agents since 2023.
Among the information that Kumar had access to were details about fighter aircraft deployment and missile systems, Jansatta said in a report. He also had clearance to extract information on personnel posted at Air Force stations in Bikaner, Chabua, and Nal, which could also have been compromised.
However, Sumit Kumar did not operate alone. His name popped up following the arrest of a man in Jaisalmer by Rajasthan Intelligence, the Hindi news report said. After it was claimed that Kumar was a key member of the espionage ring, they tipped off IAF intelligence, who started watching him closely.
Investigators also found that he allegedly helped Pakistani handlers create social media accounts using mobile numbers registered in his name, enabling secure communication. The Rajasthan Intelligence, in coordination with Air Force Intelligence, detained Kumar and took him to the Central Interrogation Centre in Jaipur for questioning, Jansatta said in the report.
Following interrogation, he was formally arrested under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigations are reportedly underway to identify other moles and links in the network.
