Thane man held for providing sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence agent

Mumbai: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra Police has arrested a resident of neighbouring Thane for allegedly spying for Pakistan, a senior official said on Thursday.

The accused, whose name was not disclosed, worked for an important organisation in Mumbai, and was "honey-trapped" by a Pakistani agent who posed as a woman and befriended him on Facebook, said the official.

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

Based on a tip-off, officials of the Thane unit of the ATS took the man in custody along with two others.

The man was arrested after preliminary interrogation under section 3 of the Official Secrets Act which deals with espionage, and section 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The other two were let off after an inquiry.

Further probe was underway.