Navy sailor arrested for allegedly leaking classified information to Pakistani intelligence operative

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The Counter Intelligence Cell of the Andhra Pradesh police has arrested a 31-year-old Navy sailor, Pradeep Mukherjee, for allegedly leaking classified maritime information to a Pakistani intelligence operative through a social media honey trap, sources said on Sunday.

Mr. Mukherjee, who joined the Indian Navy in 2014, is now posted with the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. He was undergoing a training programme at Coimbatore when he was arrested on October 3.

Mr. Mukherjee met a female Pakistani intelligence operative on social media a few months ago, according to preliminary information from the Counter Intelligence cell’s probe, sources said. Gradually, the operative developed a relationship with the sailor and allegedly obtained sensitive information from him about the Navy.

It was learnt that the Counter Intelligence Cell first detected suspicious digital activity linked to Mr. Mukherjee. He was subsequently placed under surveillance, before he was arrested. Sources said that Mr. Mukherjee is being brought from Coimbatire in Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh, using a prisoner transfer warrant. He will be produced before the court at Vijayawada on October 5, sources said.

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