Navy staffer held for leaking Operation Sindoor details, other classified info to Pakistani handler

An Indian Navy staffer posted at the naval headquarters in New Delhi has been arrested in Jaipur on charges of leaking classified defence information to a Pakistani handler in return for money. The accused, identified as Vishal Yadav, served as an Upper Division Clerk (UDC) in the Directorate of Dockyard at the Navy building.

Yadav is alleged to have passed on sensitive details about Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike conducted by the Indian Armed Forces in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Handler posed as Indian woman on social media

Inspector General of Police (CID-Security) Vishnu Kant Gupta stated that Yadav, originally from Rewari district in Haryana, was approached online by a woman who claimed to be Indian but was actually a Pakistani intelligence operative.

The contact was initially made via Facebook, under the false identity “Priya Sharma”. Communication later shifted to encrypted platforms including WhatsApp and Telegram.

Payments made through cash and cryptocurrency

According to IGP Gupta, Yadav confessed to receiving approximately Rs 2 lakh for the information he leaked, including Rs 50,000 for the intelligence on Operation Sindoor. Some of these payments were reportedly made in cryptocurrency.

Yadav allegedly began by sharing lower-level information in exchange for smaller sums of Rs 5,000–6,000, before being persuaded to divulge more critical intelligence for greater financial gain.

Gaming addiction possibly exploited

Police suspect that Yadav’s reported addiction to online gaming may have made him more susceptible to manipulation. Following sustained surveillance of his social media accounts and verification of his links with the handler, he was taken into custody in Jaipur on Wednesday.

Evidence found on phone; joint probe launched

Forensic analysis of Yadav’s mobile phone has allegedly uncovered substantial evidence — including financial transactions, messages, and classified data shared with the handler. Authorities have now launched a joint investigation involving multiple central agencies to examine the full extent of the breach, including Yadav’s cryptocurrency trail.

IGP Gupta noted that Pakistani intelligence agencies are adopting increasingly sophisticated digital tactics to target and compromise Indian personnel. “This arrest is the outcome of continuous monitoring and coordinated action,” he said to PTI.