Navy staffer held for leaking Operation Sindoor details to Pak handler

The accused, Vishal Yadav, works as an Upper Division Clerk (UDC) in the Directorate of Dockyard at the Navy building in Delhi

A Navy employee was accused of leaking classified defence information to a Pakistani handler in exchange for money, news agency PTI reported.

 

The staffer posted in the Delhi headquarters is also accused of allegedly sharing details related to Operation Sindoor, the coordinated missile strikes launched by the Indian armed forces on May 7, on terror launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The strikes were in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.

 

The accused Vishal Yadav, hailing from Rewari district in Haryana, works as an Upper Division Clerk (UDC) in the Directorate of Dockyard at the Navy building in Delhi. Yadav was taken into custody on Wednesday from Jaipur for sharing sensitive information with a female Pakistani handler who approached the accused on Facebook under the fake identity of an Indian woman, “Priya Sharma”.

 

 

 

Inspector General of Police (CID-Security) Vishnu Kant Gupta said the case will be investigated jointly by multiple agencies, adding that the probe is underway.

 

Gupta further said that Yadav received ₹50,000 for leaking information related to Operation Sindoor. The investigators also revealed that some cryptocurrency transactions were made in connection with the data leak. 

 

The report added that once Yadav accepted her friend request, the two started communicating daily, and they eventually shifted to apps like WhatsApp and then Telegram, an app known for its encryption-enabled messages.

 

It was revealed that Yadav first received small payments of ₹5,000-₹6,000 for lower-grade information, following which, the handler encouraged him to share more valuable information in exchange for large payments. It was then that Yadav started sharing defence-related classified details with the handler.

 

IGP Gupta said, “He was lured by money and ended up leaking sensitive information from the Navy headquarters.” He further added, “After monitoring his social media activity and confirming his links with a Pakistani handler, he was detained in Jaipur for joint interrogation involving multiple national agencies.” 

 

Gupta also shed light on the increasingly sophisticated methods that are being used by the Pakistani intelligence agencies to extract crucial details. He added, “We are keeping a constant watch on such activities, and this arrest is a result of sustained monitoring and timely action.”

 

A forensic examination of Yadav’s mobile device revealed crucial evidence, including financial transactions and the sharing of confidential defence data with the handler. The authorities are also probing Yadav’s crypto transactions and personal links.

 

The report further added that Yadav is also addicted to online gaming, which may have made him vulnerable to such a trap. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are also probing Yadav's cryptocurrency transactions and connections.