Honey-trapped junior engineer held for giving sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence agent

Mumbai, May 29 (PTI) The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a Thane-based man working as a junior engineer in a defence technology firm on the charge of providing sensitive information to a Pakistani intelligence agent, who honey-trapped him on social media, officials said.
The 27-year-old accused, identified as Ravindra Murlidhar Verma, is a resident of Kalwa in neighbouring Thane city, an official said on Thursday.
"Verma was working as a junior engineer with a firm involved in defence technology. As an employee of the company, he had access to enter the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai and he used to work at the naval ships," he said.
Verma was honey-trapped by a Pakistani agent who posed as a woman and befriended him on Facebook, he said.
He was found to have shared sensitive information about a vital installation with the 'Pakistan Intelligence Operative' (PIO) through WhatsApp from November 2024 to March 2025, the official said.
Based on a tip-off, officials of the Thane unit of the ATS took Verma into its custody on Wednesday, he said.
A case was registered against him and two more persons who were in contact with him, under section 3 of the Official Secrets Act that deals with espionage, and section 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
After interrogation, Verma was placed under arrest for his alleged involvement in the crime, the official said.
He was produced before a court, which sent him to the ATS custody till Monday, he said.
The ATS is examining his mobile phones and gadgets used in sharing vital information through the social media platform with the PIO, he said.
Further probe in the case was underway.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)