Navy officer arrested for espionage by the Rajasthan Police; investigations underway

New Delhi (India) June 26: Investigators have arrested an employee of the Indian Navy's Delhi headquarters on espionage charges. They have claimed that he was giving Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) access to classified defence material, including during the just-completed Operation Sindoor.

After months of investigation, the culprit, Vishal Yadav, a Haryana resident and clerk at Navy Headquarters was taken into custody by the Rajasthan police's intelligence unit.

Senior police official Vishnukant Gupta stated that the Rajasthani CID Intelligence unit was continuously keeping an eye on the espionage operations conducted by Pakistani intelligence organisations.

He said, "The CID Intelligence unit of Rajasthan was constantly monitoring the espionage activities carried out by Pakistani intelligence agencies(ISI). During surveillance, they zeroed in on Yadav, who was in constant contact with a female handler of a Pakistani intelligence agency through social media.” 

The report claims that forensic analysis of his mobile showed years of data transfer and contact, including during Operation Sindoor, an Indian military operation on terror hotspots in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror incident.

According to preliminary investigations, Yadav had suffered large financial losses and was addicted to internet gambling. He was getting money straight into his bank accounts as well as through cryptocurrency trading accounts from the Pakistani agents.

According to reports, Yadav spoke with a lady acting as Priya Sharma, an ISI agent, about sensitive information regarding naval operations and other defence facilities. According to the police, she gave him money in exchange for private information.

Security organisations are attempting to determine the extent of the sensitive information breach and the identities of other people in this plan. The arrest highlights social media's significance as a key channel for spy networks once more.

Indian counterintelligence services have increased their alert levels after the Pahalgam terror attack and India's Operation Sindoor retaliation. Authorities in a number of states, including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab have arrested a number of people in the last month alone.

Aadrika Tayal