IAF Wing Commander honey-trapped by woman, arrested for 'leaking defence data'

A 44-year-old serving Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander was arrested in May for allegedly sharing sensitive defence information and classified documents with a Pakistani intelligence operative after being honey-trapped by a woman on social media, police said on Saturday.

The officer’s identity has not been disclosed. Police shared details of the case nearly 50 days after his arrest. While the Delhi Police statement said he was arrested on May 30, officers aware of the matter said he was taken into custody on May 31, reported Hindustan Times.

The Delhi Police also said the investigating team filed a charge sheet before the concerned court on July 30.

Chargesheet filed in espionage case

“Based upon a complaint by Indian Airforce authorities, a serving airforce officer was arrested on May 30, for allegations of being honey trapped by a Pakistani Intelligence Operative. Post investigation, a chargesheet has been submitted before the competent court on July 30. The matter is sub-judice,” the police statement said, HT reported.

The officer was booked under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) after a case was registered at the Special Cell police station.

Following his arrest, he was jointly interrogated by the Special Cell and central intelligence agencies before being produced before a city court. He was sent to judicial custody in June and is currently lodged in Tihar jail, officers said.

Woman allegedly gained officer’s trust

According to an officer, the Wing Commander, who was reportedly facing issues in his personal life, was befriended by a woman on social media earlier this year, per a report by HT.

The two allegedly exchanged messages and spoke over the phone using a secure communication app. After gaining his trust, the woman allegedly persuaded him to share confidential documents and sensitive information about India’s defence system through photographs and videos.

“After gaining his trust, the woman tricked him into sharing confidential documents and sensitive details related to Indian defence system through photographs and videos. She also asked him to allegedly install an app on his colleague’s mobile phone, which possibly acted as spyware or a remote access malware used for stealing a phone’s data and tracking its location,” the officer told HT.

IAF intelligence wing detected activities

The alleged espionage came to light after the IAF’s intelligence wing detected the officer’s activities through electronic surveillance.

The intelligence wing subsequently shared evidence with the Delhi Police Special Cell, which took over the matter for legal action.

“The special cell’s investigation indicated that the woman, who was used to honey-trap the wing commander, could be working for handlers based in Pakistan. She could be a member of a larger espionage network involved in collecting intelligence related to Indian defence system,” another officer told HT.

The case remains sub-judice, with the charge sheet now before the competent court.