Leaked confidential military information to unidentified female friend; former Army captain arrested

CHENNAI: A former Army captain has been arrested for allegedly leaking confidential military information to an unidentified woman he befriended on WhatsApp. The arrested person has been identified as Babu (52), a native of Keezhvallam in Vellore. The investigation revealed that he had shared confidential information about weapons and military vehicles through WhatsApp with the woman, who is suspected to be a Pakistani intelligence agent.

Babu had served in the Artillery and Defence Equipment divisions of the Indian Army for around 28 years. He retired last year with the rank of Captain and had since been living with his family in Keezhvallam.

About a year ago, an unidentified woman contacted Babu through WhatsApp. She gradually became close to him through obscene chats and video calls. She then allegedly used the relationship to obtain confidential military information from him. The investigation team found that Babu not only shared information available to him but also contacted serving and retired colleagues to obtain and pass on further details to the woman.

He is suspected to have leaked confidential military information to her for nearly a year. After noticing his suspicious activities, military officials questioned him with the assistance of central investigation agencies. Once his involvement in the leak was established, he was handed over to the Vellore Rural police. The Kaniyambadi police subsequently recorded his arrest.

The Vellore Rural police have registered a case and launched an investigation. The team is trying to identify the woman who contacted Babu and obtained the confidential information. Police are also investigating whether any foreign nationals or organisations were involved in the leak.