In Brief
- The 31-year-old sailor was apprehended at INS Agrani in Coimbatore while attending a management development course.
- Investigators stated that Mukherjee fell prey to an online honeytrap set by a Pakistani operative on social media, through which he leaked classified defense documents regarding naval assets and base operations.
- The accused has been booked under various provisions including the Official Secrets Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for actions prejudicial to national security.
In a major counter-espionage operation, a 31-year-old Indian Navy sailor was arrested in Coimbatore for allegedly leaking classified maritime intelligence to a Pakistani intelligence handler.
Pradeep Mukherjee, who joined the Navy in 2014 and was posted with the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, was tracked down following a months-long surveillance operation by the Andhra Pradesh Police’s Counter-Intelligence (CI) cell alongside Tamil Nadu law enforcement. Authorities intercepted Mukherjee at INS Agrani in Coimbatore, where he was temporarily stationed for a management development program.
According to preliminary findings released by the state intelligence cell, Mukherjee was drawn into a digital honeytrap by a Pakistani female operative operating via encrypted messaging platforms. Investigators allege that in exchange for personal online interactions, intimate media, and social engagement, the sailor shared highly sensitive information concerning naval fleet movements, asset positions, and strategic defense infrastructure.
Following his apprehension, Mukherjee was transferred under a transit warrant to Andhra Pradesh and produced before a designated court in Vijayawada. He has been formally charged under the Official Secrets Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to conspiring against the state. Security agencies have launched a broader internal probe to determine if other personnel within defense establishments were compromised through similar online vectors.
