A serving Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander has been accused of sharing highly classified operational information including secret war-plan documents, details of a covert drone unit, fighter aircraft deployments, and coordinates of sensitive military installations with a suspected Pakistani intelligence operative, according to a chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police in a Delhi court.
The approximately 44-year-old officer, whose name has not been disclosed as the matter is sub-judice, was arrested on May 30, 2026, following a complaint from IAF authorities. He has been booked under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. The chargesheet was submitted on July 30, 2026.
According to the chargesheet, the officer communicated with the suspected operative via WhatsApp between January 12 and April 1, 2026. Forensic analysis of WhatsApp data revealed the exchange of 3,008 text messages, 65 images, 65 reactions, 42 voice calls, four video calls, and six URLs. The communications came to light after the officer was stopped and checked for carrying a smartphone into his office.
Police alleged that the officer uploaded a page of a classified “secret war plan” after receiving a nude photograph from the operative and stated that he would provide a new page of the war plan for each such photograph he received.
The information allegedly disclosed included:
- The strength, organisational structure, and operational capabilities of a secret drone unit
- Details of drone trials, weapon endurance, targeting mechanisms, and locations earmarked for deployment during hostilities
- Deployment of fighter aircraft in Leh
- Details of a military exercise at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Suratgarh
- Movements of frontline combat aircraft and coordinates of sensitive installations
The chargesheet further states that the officer “fulfilled the task” of installing specific malware/spyware on the ICT devices of five subordinates serving in the unit under him, as directed by the operative. The suspected operative also sent malware applications that could have provided access to sensitive information stored on the officer’s devices and his communications with the chain of command.
Investigators have described the case as a honey-trap operation. The officer, who was reportedly going through a personal crisis, was approached by a woman on social media. Video calls were allegedly recorded and later used for blackmail and coercion. Forensic experts recovered deleted conversation threads; contact profiles on the operative’s device were saved as “Meow” and “Stranger Officer,” while the officer’s iPhone stored the contacts under the aliases “MSS” and “Neha.” The officer was posted in a sensitive unit on the Western Front and had been under active surveillance by the IAF’s Air Intelligence Unit before being handed over to law enforcement.
Delhi Police have stated that the disclosures potentially compromised critical military assets, exposed operational vulnerabilities, and put national security at risk. The officer remains in judicial custody at Tihar Jail. Under the Official Secrets Act, offences involving military or air force affairs can attract imprisonment of up to 14 years, along with a fine.
The case underscores ongoing efforts by security agencies to counter attempts by foreign intelligence operatives to target serving personnel through social media platforms and alleged honey-trapping. The matter is currently sub-judice.
