Maharashtra's ATS Nabs Engineer in Honey Trap Espionage Case

Maharashtra's elite Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has apprehended a Thane-based junior engineer on allegations of espionage, asserting that he provided sensitive defence information to a Pakistani intelligence operative who ensnared him online, officials stated on Thursday.

This arrest occurs amidst the unravelling of numerous spy networks in northern states following 'Operation Sindoor'.

The accused, Ravindra Murlidhar Verma, a 27-year-old, was detained on Wednesday following intelligence provided by security agencies. Employed with a defence technology firm, Verma accessed highly-sensitive Naval Dockyard areas in south Mumbai, where he regularly worked on naval vessels.

Authorities revealed Verma was enticed into leaking classified data after being ensnared by a Pakistani agent masquerading as a woman on Facebook. They detailed that the accused exchanged sensitive information about a critical installation with the 'Pakistani Intelligence Operative' (PIO) via WhatsApp from November 2024 to March 2025.

A legal case has been instituted against Verma and two others connected with him, under provisions for espionage under section 3 of the Official Secrets Act and section 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Following rigorous questioning, Verma was formally charged with the crime and presented before a court, which remanded him to ATS custody until Monday. ATS is currently investigating Verma's electronic devices to explore the scope of data he transmitted via social media to the PIO.

After 'Operation Sindoor', an Indian Air Force mission targeting nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, security agencies have dismantled various spy networks in Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

(With inputs from agencies.)