How Thane-based engineer ‘spied’ for Pakistan: A Facebook request, honey-trapping, sketches about warships, submarines

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a Thane-based engineer on May 29 on charges of providing sensitive information to a Pakistani intelligence agent, who allegedly honey-trapped him on social media, officials said.

The accused was identified as 27-year-old Ravindra Murlidhar Verma. According to news agency PTI, he is a resident of Kalwa in neighbouring Thane city in Maharashtra, an official said on Thursday. He was reportedly working as a junior engineer in a defence technology firm.

The official said that Verma, as an employee of the defence technology company, "had access to enter the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai and he used to work at the naval ships.

Verma reportedly had been in contact with the Pakistani agent since November 2024.

Here's how Ravindra Verma 'spied' for Pakistan

'Verma was honey-trapped'

The official said that Verma was honey-trapped by a Pakistani agent who posed as a woman and befriended him on Facebook. According to police, he was lured into passing classified information after being honey-trapped by a Pakistani agent posing as a woman on Facebook.

"He was found to have shared sensitive information about a vital installation with the 'Pakistan Intelligence Operative' (PIO) through WhatsApp from November 2024 to March 2025," the official said.

It started with request on Facebook

According to officials, Verma had been in contact with the Pakistani agent since November 2024. They said Verma had received friend requests on Facebook from users with account names as Payal Sharma and Ispreet in 2024, which he accepted.

While chatting with him, both these account users — posing as women — initially portrayed that they were from India and worked on a project for which information about warships was required, the official said.

"After a few sessions of conversations, they honey-trapped him and started digging sensitive information about vital installations," he said.

Official said Verma used to share all the sensitive information with Pakistani operatives.

"He was very much aware of what he was doing and to whom he was passing on the sensitive information. He was getting money in exchange for providing the information," he said.

What information did Verma share with Pak agent?

Police alleged that the Thane-based engineer shared sensitive information about warships and submarines to the Pakistani intelligence operative through sketches, diagrams and audio notes.

They said that Verma received money from various bank accounts in India and abroad in return.

"During the investigation, it came to light that Verma shared sensitive information knowingly and intentionally multiple times. In exchange for the information, he received money from various bank accounts from India and abroad," an official told PTI on Friday.

It was also found that he had shared information about various warships and submarines to the Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), another official said.

How did Verma share information with Pak agent?

The official said that Verma worked as a junior engineer with a defence technology firm and, by virtue of his work, he had access to the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai. "He would also go on board naval ships and submarines," the official said.

"During his visits to the Naval Dockyard, he was not allowed to carry a mobile phone inside. Therefore, after finishing his work there, he used to share sensitive information about warships and submarines by making sketches or diagrams. Sometimes, he would share information through audio notes also," the official added.

"The ATS suspects that he also shared the names of submarines and warships to the Pakistani agent," he said.

Espionage case filed against Ravindra Verma

A case was registered against him and two more persons who were in contact with him, under section 3 of the Official Secrets Act that deals with espionage, and section 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to PTI, officials of the ATS Thane unit took Verma into custody on Wednesday based on a tip-off.

"After interrogation, Verma was placed under arrest for his alleged involvement in the crime," the official said. He was produced before a court, which sent him to the ATS custody till Monday.

"The ATS is examining his mobile phones and gadgets used in sharing vital information through the social media platform with the PIO," the official said, adding that, "Further probe in the case was underway."