In a major counter-espionage breakthrough, the Rajasthan Police has arrested a civilian employee posted at the Chabua Air Force Station in Assam for allegedly spying for Pakistan and leaking sensitive defence information. The accused, identified as Sumit Kumar (36), was working as a Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) at the strategically important air base in Dibrugarh district. Officials said he is suspected of sharing classified Indian Air Force information with Pakistani handlers through social media in exchange for money.
The investigation began in January this year when Rajasthan Intelligence arrested Jhabararam in Jaisalmer. His interrogation led authorities to uncover a wider espionage network, eventually pointing to Sumit Kumar, who was allegedly in regular contact with operatives linked to Pakistani intelligence agencies.
Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Prafulla Kumar stated that the accused misused his access within the Air Force Station to collect and transmit confidential information. Officials added that he exploited his position to share sensitive inputs related to defence installations. Acting on intelligence inputs, Rajasthan Police, in coordination with Indian Air Force intelligence units in New Delhi, carried out a joint operation and detained Kumar from Chabua. He was later taken to the Central Interrogation Centre in Jaipur, where multiple agencies conducted a detailed investigation.
Preliminary findings indicate that Kumar had been in contact with Pakistani intelligence operatives since 2023. During this time, he allegedly shared crucial information related to the Chabua Air Force Station as well as other key military bases, including the Air Force Station in Nal, Bikaner. The leaked data reportedly included details about fighter aircraft deployment, missile systems, and confidential information about officers and personnel.
Investigators also found that he helped facilitate the espionage network by assisting handlers in creating social media accounts using mobile numbers registered in his name, enabling covert communication.
Kumar was formally arrested on March 22 by the Special Police Station in Jaipur under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Officials described the case as a major exposure of a Pakistan-linked espionage network operating within India. Further investigations are ongoing to identify other possible operatives and assess the full extent of the intelligence breach, raising serious concerns about internal security and vulnerabilities in critical defence establishments.