Honeytrap On Facebook: How This Engineer 'Leaked' Naval Secrets To ‘Mystery Woman’ From Pakistan

Naval dockyards, classified sketches and a fake Facebook profile. An engineer’s online fling may have turned into India’s latest national security nightmare.

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New Delhi: A 27-year-old engineer from Maharashtra has been arrested for allegedly leaking military secrets to a Pakistani intelligence agent who, investigators say, seduced him online using a fake identity.

The accused, Ravindra Murlidhar Verma, worked as a junior engineer at a defence tech firm. He was a cubicle-bound coder who had access to India’s Naval Dockyard in Mumbai and boarding warships and submarines. And that is purportedly made him a prime target.

Verma’s downfall began in late 2024 when he accepted friend requests from Facebook accounts with Indian-sounding names like ‘Payal Sharma’ and ‘Ispreet’. Behind those profiles was a Pakistani spy pretending to be a woman.

Chats turned into flirtation, flirtation into trust and before he knew it, Verma – according to investigators – was feeding classified data straight to Pakistan.

Sketches, Diagrams and Audio Notes

Verma allegedly got creative without mobile access inside the Naval base. After his shifts, he reportedly drew detailed sketches of warships and submarines, recorded audio notes and shared them over WhatsApp.

The Pakistani handler did not only get gossip, authorities say, he/she got strategic intelligence. Verma, in return, allegedly received money through both Indian and foreign bank accounts.

Officials believe this was not a one-time slip. Over months, the techie is suspected of deliberately and repeatedly leaking national secrets – all while fully aware of the consequences.

The Anti-Terrorists Squad (ATS) has also found that Verma was not acting alone. Two others are now being probed for possible connections.

What Happens Next?

Booked under the Official Secrets Act and conspiracy charges, Verma has been remanded in custody. Investigators are now scanning his phones and digital trail to uncover just how much was shared and who else might be involved.

This case adds to a growing string of espionage incidents involving Pakistan’s honeytrap tactics, where fake online profiles are used to exploit professionals with access to critical data.