Vellore, Oct 26:
A 52-year-old retired Indian Army officer was arrested in Vellore district for allegedly sharing sensitive military information with an unidentified woman who befriended him through WhatsApp and video calls, officials said.
The accused, identified as Babu, was allegedly lured into a honeytrap about a year ago. The woman reportedly claimed to be working on a project for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and sought details about Army equipment and defence security-related matters. Investigators suspect that he shared the information she requested.
According to reports, Babu also contacted former colleagues and serving personnel to obtain details that he did not personally know before passing them on to the woman. Central intelligence officials placed him under surveillance after receiving specific information about his activities and arrested him at his residence on Friday.
He was questioned by central intelligence agencies at the Vellore Taluk Police Station for two days before being handed over to the Tamil Nadu Police on Saturday night. The police have begun a detailed investigation to identify the woman and establish whether she was acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency. The nature and sensitivity of the information allegedly shared are also being examined.
Babu had served in various divisions of the Army and retired last year in the rank of captain from its equipment division. He subsequently settled in his native Keezhvallam village near Kaniyambadi in Vellore district.
The arrest comes weeks after an Indian Navy sailor, Pradeep Mukherjee of West Bengal, was arrested on October 3 over the alleged leak of sensitive defence and maritime information linked to the Visakhapatnam Naval base. Mukherjee, who was attending a management development course at INS Agrani in Coimbatore, was allegedly honey-trapped by a woman Pakistani intelligence operative whom he had met through social media.
Investigators suspect that the sailor shared information about strategic naval assets, fleet movements and operational arrangements at the Visakhapatnam base. The latest case has renewed concerns over the use of online relationships and false professional identities to obtain sensitive defence information. The allegations against Babu remain under investigation.