Navy sailor arrested in Pakistan honeytrap case

An Indian Navy sailor has been arrested for allegedly leaking classified maritime intelligence to a Pakistani intelligence operative after falling victim to a social media honeytrap, officials said.

The Andhra Pradesh Police Counter Intelligence Cell arrested 31-year-old Pradeep Mukherjee at INS Agrani, a naval training facility in Coimbatore, on Saturday (October 3). Mukherjee, a West Bengal native, joined the Indian Navy in 2014 and was serving under the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

According to officials, a woman suspected of being a Pakistani intelligence operative contacted Mukherjee on social media several months ago and gradually developed an online relationship with him. She allegedly obtained sensitive information about strategic naval assets, fleet movements and the operational framework of the Visakhapatnam naval base.

The Counter Intelligence Cell began investigating Mukherjee after detecting suspicious digital activity and placed him under surveillance. Investigators later obtained clearance from naval authorities and arrested him at INS Agrani, where he was attending a management development course.