LUCKNOW: The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested an Indian Navy personnel from Agra on charges of spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The accused, identified as Adarsh Kumar alias Lucky, a Lance Naik in the Indian Navy posted at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, was arrested from Chitpur village under the Kagaraul police station area in Agra on Tuesday.
According to ATS sources, Kumar allegedly shared photographs and details of strategically sensitive naval assets, including warships, with his ISI handlers across the border. Documents recovered from his possession are said to confirm the transfer of such information.
Investigators also found that the accused had transferred money to an ISI agent from his bank account. Following his arrest, ATS officials examined electronic gadgets seized from him, which reportedly confirmed his alleged role in espionage.
Kumar was produced before a court on Tuesday and was subsequently sent to judicial custody. Agencies are now investigating whether other individuals are involved in the espionage network.
ATS sources said the agency had been receiving inputs for some time about Kumar’s alleged anti-national activities, including passing sensitive information about India to the ISI. The investigation gathered momentum after technical and physical surveillance pointed to his involvement.
The accused had married a woman from Mathura just 22 days ago and had travelled to Dubai for his honeymoon. He returned to India three days ago before being arrested.
Kumar’s father, Balveer, who works at a liquor shop, lives in a joint family in Chitpur village along with his brothers.
Officials also suspect that the accused may have fallen victim to a honeytrap, a tactic often used by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies to lure individuals with access to sensitive information.
ATS sources noted that such espionage activities frequently begin through contact on social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, with honeytraps or financial incentives used to target defence personnel.
In a similar case last year, the ATS arrested Ravindra Kumar from Agra on charges of espionage after he allegedly came into contact with a woman named Neha Sharma on Facebook.
He was accused of sending confidential documents from the Ordnance Factory, including letters from a screening committee related to drones, the Gaganyaan project and other classified information, to the woman who was reportedly working for the ISI.