Civilian Navy Clerk Arrested accused of Leaking Top-Secret Operation to Pakistan Photo Credit: HT
In a disturbing breach of national security, a civilian clerk working at the Naval Headquarters in Delhi has been arrested for allegedly spying for Pakistan and leaking critical details of a top-secret Indian military mission—Operation Sindoor—to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The accused, identified as Vishal Yadav, is now under intense investigation by central intelligence agencies.
Clerk Turned Spy: A Shocking Betrayal from Within
Vishal Yadav, hailing from Haryana’s Rewari district, served as an upper-division clerk in the Directorate of Dockyard at the Navy’s Nausena Bhawan. According to Economic Times, despite holding a non-commissioned position, Yadav allegedly managed to access sensitive documents and data related to Operation Sindoor and passed them on to handlers linked with the ISI.
Investigating officers revealed that Yadav had been under digital surveillance following his contact with a suspicious social media account flagged in a previous espionage case. It was through this online interaction that he was allegedly honey-trapped and drawn into an espionage racket.
What Was Operation Sindoor?
Operation Sindoor, a covert military mission, was launched in early May after a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region killed 26 security personnel. In response, Indian forces launched a series of retaliatory strikes across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), eliminating over 100 militants. The mission was kept highly classified due to its scale and cross-border nature.
Officials suspect that during this crucial period, Yadav passed on information including movement details, deployment schedules, and communication codes—effectively compromising the mission’s confidentiality.
Hooked Through a Honey Trap and Financial Enticements
Yadav’s downfall reportedly began with an online gaming addiction and mounting personal debt. According to security sources, he was approached on social media by a woman using the alias “Priya Sharma.” Unknown to him, the woman was a fabricated identity operated by an ISI agent who lured him through romantic overtures and later financial assistance.
Once the trap was laid, Yadav allegedly began receiving payments in exchange for information—small sums ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 for minor updates and up to ₹50,000 for major leaks. These transactions were routed through both conventional bank transfers and cryptocurrency, particularly USDT wallets.
During his arrest and subsequent search, officials reportedly found encrypted chats, call logs, digital documents, and payment receipts on Yadav’s personal devices.
Arrest and Ongoing Investigation
Yadav was arrested from Delhi on June 25 and transported to Jaipur, where he is being held at the Central Interrogation Centre. He has been remanded to four days in police custody. Investigators are now working to identify any larger espionage network and whether other individuals within the defence system were similarly compromised.
This incident marks the second significant breach in connection with Operation Sindoor. In May, two men in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district were arrested for allegedly relaying troop movement and intelligence updates to Pakistan. Officials are now drawing parallels between the two cases and investigating a possible coordinated ISI operation targeting Indian military personnel through social engineering tactics.
A Wake-Up Call for India’s Security Establishment
Yadav’s arrest has sent shockwaves through the Indian defence establishment. Authorities have begun reviewing access protocols for civilian staff within defence offices and are urging enhanced background checks, digital hygiene education, and psychological support for personnel vulnerable to external pressures.
Experts point out that cyber vulnerabilities and personal distress—such as debt, addiction, or loneliness—are increasingly being exploited by foreign intelligence agencies. The use of romance-based honey traps, online gaming platforms, and cryptocurrency payments represents a new era of espionage that blurs the lines between digital and physical threats.
The case of the Naval headquarter clerk held for spying for Pakistan and leaking Operation Sindoor details to ISI is a stark reminder that even seemingly low-ranking personnel can pose immense security risks when targeted by sophisticated foreign intelligence tactics. As agencies dig deeper into the breach, the government is expected to tighten its internal protocols and reinforce safeguards to prevent such infiltrations in the future.
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