Indian Navy Employee Arrested for Passing Classified Information to Pakistan

Navy HQ Clerk Arrested for Spying for Pakistan; Leaked Sensitive Info During Operation Sindoor.

A clerk posted at the Indian Navy’s headquarters in New Delhi has been arrested on charges of espionage for allegedly leaking sensitive military information to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI — including during the critical period of Operation Sindoor.

The accused, identified as Vishal Yadav, is a civilian employee working at the Directorate of Dockyard at Navy HQ and a resident of Haryana. He was arrested by the Rajasthan Police’s intelligence unit after months of surveillance and has been booked under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

According to investigators, Yadav was in regular contact with a woman identified as his Pakistani handler, who operated under the alias “Priya Sharma.” The two communicated via social media, through which Yadav allegedly passed classified information in exchange for money.

A senior police official, Vishnukant Gupta, confirmed that Yadav received payments both directly into his bank account and via cryptocurrency channels. Investigators believe his actions were financially motivated — driven by an addiction to online gaming and mounting personal losses.

The leaked information is believed to include operational and strategic data related to Indian naval activities. Officials have confirmed that some of the data passed to ISI may have pertained to Operation Sindoor — India’s cross-border counter-terrorism operation launched in May following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Yadav is currently in custody and undergoing further interrogation as authorities try to determine the full extent of the breach and any potential internal security risks. Security agencies have also renewed advisories urging defence personnel and citizens to remain vigilant, particularly on social media, against suspicious contact or activity.