Honeytrap At The Dockyard: Engineer Ravindra Verma
In Maharashtra, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 27-year-old Ravindra Verma, a mechanical engineer employed by a Mumbai-based defence technology firm. Verma had access to the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai and was involved in work related to submarines and warships.
His arrest was triggered by a forensic trail linking him to Facebook accounts under the names “Payal Sharma” and “Ispreet.” Investigators say these profiles were fronts for Pakistani agents who gradually lured Verma into a honeytrap. Verma began sharing detailed sketches, diagrams, and audio notes about naval assets in exchange for money sent via Indian and international bank accounts.
According to the police, Verma was not merely duped but knowingly and repeatedly shared confidential data. While phones were prohibited inside the Naval Dockyard, he would reportedly sketch from memory and send images later. The ATS suspects he also supplied ship names and docking schedules. He had been communicating with the Pakistani operative since November 2024 and is currently in custody.
The Influencer Asset: Jyoti Malhotra
Perhaps the most publicly visible case is that of travel vlogger Jyoti Malhotra, who ran a popular YouTube channel. Her arrest by Haryana Police came in mid-May, following her alleged links to ISI operatives.
According to authorities investigating the case, Malhotra had direct, repeated contact with operatives at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, as well as during visits to Pakistan, at least two of which were confirmed by travel records. She reportedly interacted with Pakistani intelligence officials named Danish, Ahsan, and Shahid. Forensic examination of her seized mobile phones and laptops revealed a trove of over 12 terabytes of data, including communications that investigators claim confirm her awareness of the agents’ ISI affiliations.
Despite being under scrutiny for disproportionate spending and multiple foreign trips, including to Pakistan and China, Malhotra continued her interactions with suspected handlers. One notable incident captured in a video by Scottish YouTuber Callum Mill showed her walking through Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar accompanied by six men armed with AK-47s.
Malhotra has been charged under the Official Secrets Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Her trial is scheduled to begin in June.
The Health Worker: Sahdev Singh Gohil
A 28-year-old health worker from Gujarat was arrested for transmitting sensitive information related to Indian military infrastructure to a Pakistani operative.
Officials from the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) confirmed last Saturday that Sahdev Singh Gohil, a resident of the border district of Kachchh, had been detained earlier this month on charges of sharing classified images and videos of newly constructed Indian Air Force (IAF) and Border Security Force (BSF) installations with a foreign agent.
Senior ATS officer K Siddharth said that Gohil came into contact with a person identifying herself as Aditi Bharadwaj via WhatsApp in 2023. Investigators now believe Bharadwaj was a cover identity used by a Pakistani intelligence operative. The communication, according to ATS sources, evolved into an exchange of visuals and data concerning Indian military sites near the border.
According to investigators, Gohil procured a new SIM card registered under his Aadhaar details in early 2025 and activated a WhatsApp account on behalf of the alleged handler using a one-time-password (OTP) authentication process. This channel, officials say, was subsequently used to transmit sensitive content documenting military construction and movements in the area.
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