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A 27-year-old junior defence contractor has been arrested by Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad for leaking classified information on Indian Navy warships and submarines to suspected Pakistani intelligence agents. Ravindra Muralidhar Verma, 27, reportedly shared operational details of 14 naval vessels. The Indian Navy has confirmed that at least five of these details were accurate and classified. Verma was taken into custody on Wednesday by the Thane ATS unit.According to the reports, he worked with Krasni Defence Technology Pvt. Ltd., a Mumbai-based firm involved in repairs for key defence sites including the Naval Dockyard, Mazagon Dock, and the Indian Coast Guard. His role in the electrical department gave him access to restricted naval locations in Maharashtra. Verma was drawn into espionage after receiving Facebook friend requests in 2024 from profiles named 'Payal Sharma' and 'Ishpreet'. These accounts, operated by suspected Pakistani agents, posed as Indian women involved in naval research. The online chats became personal, and communication later moved to WhatsApp under the alias 'Priti Jaiswal'.Verma allegedly shared sensitive information in exchange for emotional support and money."During the investigation, it came to light that Verma shared sensitive information knowingly and intentionally multiple times. In exchange for the information, he received money from various bank accounts from India and abroad," an official told PTI.Since mobile phones were banned inside the dockyard, he made sketches, diagrams, and audio notes after work, which he then sent to the Pakistani agent through WhatsApp. According to the reports, one audio message recovered from his phone, dated March 11, 2025, had Verma reporting an inspection of ships and sharing details recorded in his diary with his handler and another person referred to as 'Sir'. The ATS suspects Verma communicated with multiple handlers disguised as 'college friends' of Priti and Ishpreet. Forensic analysis uncovered months of archived chats, diagrams, videos, and audio files.His mother, Rekha, said her son was manipulated online. “Yes, Ravi spoke to someone on Facebook, but the woman trapped my son,” she said. She added that Verma had talked about “bad women” online and wanted to delete his Facebook account.A case has been registered against Verma, 'Priti Jaiswal', and the unnamed 'Si' under the Sections 3(1)(a) and 5(1) of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Section 120(B) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Equivalent for criminal conspiracy). Investigators are reportedly checking whether Verma was blackmailed or financially pressured after initial contact. Police said Verma received money from multiple accounts in India and abroad. The ATS is verifying these transactions and investigating whether others in the company were involved.The court has remanded him to ATS custody till Monday. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are examining his digital records and possible accomplices.Earlier Pakistani Honey Trap CasesMarch 12, 2024: Kalpesh Baykar, a contract worker at Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders, was arrested for sharing secret information about restricted zones. The Pakistani agent contacted him between November 2021 and May 2023 through Facebook and WhatsApp. He was arrested in Navi Mumbai. Baykar had worked at the dockyard since 2014.December 12, 2023: Gaurav Patil, a 23-year-old trainee at the Indian Navy Dockyard, was arrested for sharing sensitive information with Pakistani intelligence agents. He was trapped in a honey trap. The agents had pretended he worked for a company designing ships.October 2020: Deepak Shirsath, an assistant supervisor at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited near Nashik, was arrested on suspicion of providing classified information about Indian fighter aircraft to ISI handlers. He was also suspected of being caught in a honey trap.May 4, 2023: Dr. Pradeep Kurulkar, a director at DRDO, was arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive defence information to Pakistani spies.

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