The 31-year-old contract worker at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders who was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) early this week had shared sketches and diagrams of a warship that was brought to the dockyard for repair and maintenance, informed sources. Sources informed that the accused identified as Kalpesh Baikar engaged extensively in chatting with Pakistan based Intelligence Operative (PIO) and the investigative agency is going through all the chats. Baikar fell into a honey trap laid by a Pakistani agent after disclosing that he was employed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, a facility specializing in the repair and maintenance of defense warships. Assigned to duty aboard a defense warship commissioned approximately two years ago, Baikar, prepared sketches and diagrams of the warship and Mazagon Dock.
As phones are not allowed inside the workplace due to regulations, Baikar prepared sketches. He then shared these materials with the PIO via Facebook and WhatsApp, informed sources. The accused was obsessed with chatting with the girl, informed sources. He had also received a gift worth Rs 2000 from the PIO. Baikar hails from Poynad in Alibaug Taluka of Raigad district and a case has been filed against him under the Official Secrets Act, along with others in his contact lists. The Navi Mumbai unit of the Anti-Terrorism Squad received confidential information indicating that an Indian suspect had been in communication with a PIO and had disclosed confidential and sensitive information pertaining to an area restricted by the Indian government. The accused had been in contact with a PIO via Facebook and WhatsApp between November 2021 and May 2023.The accused, employed as a fabricator at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., began his journey after completing a Fitter course at an ITI college in Alibaug, joining the shipbuilders in May 2014.
In December 2023, the Maharashtra ATS apprehended a 23-year-old individual employed at Mazgaon Dockyard in Mumbai, on suspicion of sharing confidential information with an agent of a Pakistan-based Intelligence Operative (PIO).The case is highly sensitive because two years ago, INS Udaygiri was commissioned into the Indian Navy as a frontline warship with modern technology, as part of the 'Project 17A' frigate programme. Launched in 2022 by defence minister Rajnath Singh, INS Udaygiri guided-missile boasted of improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors, and state-of-the-art platform management systems.