Mumbai: A 27-year-old junior defence contractor has been arrested for allegedly leaking restricted information on Indian Navy warships and submarines to suspected Pakistani intelligence agents, Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) said in a statement issued late Saturday.
Identified as Ravindrlidhar Verma, the accused was working in the electrical department of Mumbai-basa Muraed Krasni Defence Technology Pvt. Ltd., which handles sensitive repair operations for key defence establishments including the Naval Dockyard, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., and the Indian Coast Guard. His role granted him access to several restricted naval installations across Maharashtra.
According to reports, Verma was arrested on Wednesday by the Thane unit of the ATS after investigators found he had shared operational details about 14 naval vessels, including warships and submarines. Indian Navy officials confirmed that at least five of the details provided were accurate and classified.
Honeytrap Uncovered: Facebook Profiles, Romantic Messaging, and Covert Transfers
Investigators revealed that Verma had been lured into the espionage operation in 2024 through Facebook friend requests from two accounts named “Payal Sharma” and “Ishpreet,” both believed to be operated by Pakistani intelligence agents posing as Indian women involved in naval research.
The conversations quickly turned personal, and one of the operatives — using the alias “Priti Jaiswal” — moved the chats to WhatsApp. In exchange for emotional attention and cash transfers, Verma began sharing sensitive data, including sketches, notes, and audio messages.
As per a report, a senior ATS officer said, “He was very much aware of what he was doing and to whom he was passing on the sensitive information. He was getting money in exchange for providing the information.”
Despite strict mobile phone bans at naval sites, Verma allegedly memorised technical details and later reconstructed them in the form of diagrams, sketches, and voice notes. One audio message retrieved from his phone, dated March 11, 2025, has Verma reporting:
“Sir kuch reply nahi de rahe, unka net shayd se band hai… Aaj mein roundup pe gaya tha. So sari sari ship dekhi hai… vo sari meine diary mein karke tumko kiya ki hai.”
A day later, on March 12, Verma photographed a notebook page listing names and exact locations of 14 Indian naval ships — data later verified by authorities as restricted.
Digital Trail and Covert Communication
According to police sources quoted by reports, forensic analysis of Verma’s phone revealed a well-maintained archive of communications, including messages, diagrams, videos, and photographs, sent over several months. Investigators believe he was in touch with multiple handlers posing as “college friends” of “Priti.”
A case has been registered against Verma, the unnamed “Sir,” and “Priti Jaiswal” under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Authorities are also examining financial transactions made to Verma from both domestic and foreign accounts.
Family Claims Emotional Exploitation
Verma’s mother, Rekha, has claimed that her son was “emotionally exploited” by unknown women online. “Yes, Ravi spoke to someone on Facebook, but the woman trapped my son,” she said. “He told me about these bad women and even wanted to delete his account.”
ATS officials said Verma has been remanded to custody until Monday and is cooperating with investigators. Data recovery teams are currently examining his digital devices to assess the scale of the breach.
Officials have not ruled out the possibility of a larger spy network operating within defence-linked firms. Further arrests and revelations are likely in the coming days as the investigation unfolds.
