Navy Officer Arrested in Coimbatore Over Alleged Data Leak to Pakistani Operative

An Indian Navy sailor, identified as 31-year-old Pradeep Mukherjee, was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police Counter Intelligence Cell at INS Agrani in Coimbatore on October 3. Mukherjee, a native of West Bengal, was attending a management development course at the naval training facility in Red Fields. He is posted under the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

Investigators suspect that Mukherjee was allegedly honey-trapped by a woman believed to be linked to Pakistani intelligence after they came into contact through social media. He is accused of sharing sensitive information concerning strategic naval assets, fleet movements and the operational framework of the Visakhapatnam naval base. The Counter Intelligence Cell reportedly detected suspicious digital activity and kept him under surveillance before making the arrest. Officials are continuing to investigate the extent of the information allegedly shared and whether others were involved.