Retired IAF personnel arrested in Assam for alleged links with Pakistani operatives

A retired IAF (Indian Air Force) junior warrant officer has been arrested in Assam’s Sonitpur district for allegedly supplying sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence operatives, police said on Saturday.

The accused was detained following a surveillance-based operation, after which investigators reportedly found evidence of digital communication with suspected Pakistani handlers.

Additional Superintendent of Police Haricharan Bhumij said the preliminary probe indicates that the former airman had shared classified documents and operational details pertaining to defence installations through social media platforms.

“We have seized his laptop and mobile phone. Some data appears to have been deleted, but both devices have been sent for forensic examination to retrieve the erased material,” Bhumij added.

The accused had retired from the IAF in 2002 after serving at the Salonibari air base in Tezpur — a strategically significant station that houses important assets and operational units.

After retirement, he briefly worked in the electronics department of Tezpur University but later resigned for unspecified reasons.

According to police, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) dealing with national security, criminal conspiracy and unlawful communication with hostile entities. A local court has remanded him to five days of police custody to facilitate sustained interrogation and digital forensics.

Investigators are now examining:

• Whether the accused received monetary compensation or other inducements for sharing information
• The nature, timeframe and volume of the information allegedly communicated
• Any additional individuals or networks involved in the espionage attempt
• Whether the breach compromised operational readiness at defence installations in the region

Assam Police are coordinating with central agencies to ascertain whether this case is part of a larger pattern of Pakistani intelligence attempting to exploit retired defence personnel through social media platforms.

Officials say more details will emerge once digital recovery is complete and interrogation advances.