The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a Thane-based engineer on Could 29 on prices of offering delicate info to a Pakistani intelligence agent, who allegedly honey-trapped him on social media, officers stated.
The accused was recognized as 27-year-old Ravindra Murlidhar Verma. In response to information company PTI, he’s a resident of Kalwa in neighbouring Thane metropolis in Maharashtra, an official stated on Thursday. He was reportedly working as a junior engineer in a defence expertise agency.
The official stated that Verma, as an worker of the defence expertise firm, “had entry to enter the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai and he used to work on the naval ships.
Verma reportedly had been in touch with the Pakistani agent since November 2024.
This is how Ravindra Verma ‘spied’ for Pakistan
‘Verma was honey-trapped’
The official stated that Verma was honey-trapped by a Pakistani agent who posed as a lady and befriended him on Fb. In response to police, he was lured into passing categorized info after being honey-trapped by a Pakistani agent posing as a lady on Fb.
“He was discovered to have shared delicate details about a significant set up with the ‘Pakistan Intelligence Operative’ (PIO) via WhatsApp from November 2024 to March 2025,” the official stated.
It began with request on Fb
In response to officers, Verma had been in touch with the Pakistani agent since November 2024. They stated Verma had obtained pal requests on Fb from customers with account names as Payal Sharma and Ispreet in 2024, which he accepted.
Whereas chatting with him, each these account customers — posing as ladies –initially portrayed that they had been from India and labored on a challenge for which details about warships was required, the official stated.
“After a number of periods of conversations, they honey-trapped him and began digging delicate details about very important installations,” he stated.
Official stated Verma used to share all of the delicate info with Pakistani operatives.
“He was very a lot conscious of what he was doing and to whom he was passing on the delicate info. He was getting cash in alternate for offering the data,” he stated.
What info did Verma share with Pak agent?
Police alleged that the Thane-based engineer shared delicate details about warships and submarines to the Pakistani intelligence operative via sketches, diagrams and audio notes.
They stated that Verma obtained cash from numerous financial institution accounts in India and overseas in return.
“In the course of the investigation, it got here to gentle that Verma shared delicate info knowingly and deliberately a number of instances. In alternate for the data, he obtained cash from numerous financial institution accounts from India and overseas,” an official instructed PTI on Friday.
It was additionally discovered that he had shared details about numerous warships and submarines to the Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), one other official stated.
How did Verma share info with Pak agent?
The official stated that Verma labored as a junior engineer with a defence expertise agency and, by advantage of his work, he had entry to the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai. “He would additionally go on board naval ships and submarines,” the official stated.
“Throughout his visits to the Naval Dockyard, he was not allowed to hold a cell phone inside. Subsequently, after ending his work there, he used to share delicate details about warships and submarines by making sketches or diagrams. Typically, he would share info via audio notes additionally,” the official added.
“The ATS suspects that he additionally shared the names of submarines and warships to the Pakistani agent,” he stated.
Espionage case filed in opposition to Ravindra Verma
A case was registered in opposition to him and two extra individuals who had been in touch with him, underneath part 3 of the Official Secrets and techniques Act that offers with espionage, and part 61 (2) (legal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In response to PTI, officers of the ATS Thane unit took Verma into custody on Wednesday based mostly on a tip-off.
“After interrogation, Verma was positioned underneath arrest for his alleged involvement within the crime,” the official stated. He was produced earlier than a court docket, which despatched him to the ATS custody until Monday.
“The ATS is analyzing his cellphones and devices utilized in sharing very important info via the social media platform with the PIO,” the official stated, including that, “Additional probe within the case was underway.”
