A retired Indian Army officer has been arrested in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district over allegations of passing sensitive military information to an unidentified woman through WhatsApp.
The accused, identified as 52-year-old Babu, is a resident of Keezhvallam village near Kaniyambadi. He served in the Army for 28 years in various divisions before retiring in 2025 as a captain from the Ordnance Department.
Investigators suspect that Babu came into contact with the woman approximately a year ago through WhatsApp. She allegedly introduced herself as someone working on a project associated with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and gradually developed a relationship with him.
During their communication, Babu allegedly shared the information the woman requested. He is also suspected of contacting Army offices to obtain details that were not already available to him. The information allegedly shared included sensitive military details and data related to defence equipment.
Acting on intelligence inputs, central investigative agencies reportedly detained Babu at his residence and took him to the Vellore taluk police station for questioning. The preliminary inquiry allegedly indicated that the exchange of military-related information had continued for around a year.
A case has been registered against the retired officer under Section 152 (Acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3(1)(c) and 5(1)(a) of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
Police are continuing their investigation to establish the nature of the information allegedly shared, the identity of the woman and whether others were involved.
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