Thane: ATS Arrests Def Tech Engineer For Sharing Sensitive Information With Pak

Thane: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a 27-year-old engineer, Ravi Muralidhar Verma, in Maharashtra’s Thane for allegedly providing sensitive information to the enemy country, on Thursday. The accused reportedly shared photos and videos of restricted areas in Thane and Mumbai, to Pakistani intelligence agencies.

He was later produced before a special court which remanded him in the ATS custody until Monday for further probe into the matter.

As per the preliminary investigation, Verma, a junior engineer in the Defence Technology Department of a private company in Mumbai, allegedly fell into a 'honeytrap' in Facebook. Since November 2024, Ravi Verma, was in contact with two Pakistani Facebook accounts named Payal Sharma and Ispreet. The woman allegedly lured Verma into her trap by sending nude photos.

Verma allegedly sent information about 14 submarines and warships to these Pakistani accounts. Upon requests from the purported accounts, he sent information and pictures of warships and other ships.

Sources added that the investigation revealed that he received money from a Pakistani agent in return. The ATS has registered a case against him under Sections 3(1) (b), 5 (a) of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and Section 61(2) of the Indian Penal Code, 2023.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, security agencies have been tracking down Pakistani spies across the country.

Verma resided in Atikoneshwar Nagar in Kalwa area of Thane and has a mother and a sister. Ravi's mother claimed her son is innocent. She said that Ravi is her only support after her alcoholic husband, her eldest son who died of cancer, and her divorced daughter. She accused the Pakistani woman of deceiving her son and demanded the government ban Facebook.

Officials said there is a sudden spurt in Pakistani intelligence agencies trapping unsuspecting individuals through 'honeytraps' in social media.