Indian Air Force officer held for alleged espionage
The sergeant sold the leaked information to a Pakistani agent, the police claim.
An Indian Air Force sergeant has been arrested by the Delhi Police crime branch for allegedly leaking classified information to a Pakistani agent, PTI reported on Thursday.
The accused, 32-year-old Devendra Narayan Sharma, said that he was allegedly tricked by a Pakistani woman into sharing sensitive documents related to personnel, national security and defence. He has been dismissed from the service.
Sharma was working as an administrative assistant with the Indian Air Force record office in Delhi’s Subroto Park, The Indian Express reported. He was arrested from Delhi’s Dhaula Kuan area on May 6. He hails from Kanpur.
Sharma allegedly leaked the information to the Pakistani woman through WhatsApp, the police said according to PTI. He obtained the information from computers and other files by deceit, they added.
The former sergeant met the woman on Facebook, after which she befriended him, the police claimed. She would frequently call him for information, they added.
“She was trying to get information about positions of Indian Air Force radars, posting of senior officials and their details,” the police said in a statement, according to The Indian Express. “We have analysed his wife’s bank account and found suspicious transactions. We found the number used by the woman and are trying to trace her.”
The police have seized electronic gadgets and documents from Sharma, PTI reported. They suspect the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, The Indian Express reported.
The police have also accused the sergeant of selling the leaked information.