New Delhi police have arrested an Air Force officer who allegedly gave classified information to Pakistani spies in exchange for explicit photos on social media.
Group Captain Arun Marwaha, 51, was seduced by agents from Pakistan's elite intelligence agency who were posing as young women online.
Captain Marwaha, who was due to retire next year, was a parachute instructor with the Indian Air Force, training airborne troops.
Two Pakistani spies allegedly, using fake profiles, sent friend requests to his Facebook page, where he had posted numerous photos of himself parachuting in Indian military attire.
The conversations apparently continued and turned sexual on WhatsApp — an encrypted messaging service that is wildly popular in India.
With 200 million active users in the country, it has come under criticism for easily allowing the spread of misinformation among the masses.
Officer 'photographed classified documents'
Captain Marwaha allegedly used his phone to photograph classified documents at the Indian Air Force headquarters, which he sent to his two new social media contacts in exchange for obscene photos.
Documents about Indian Special Operations forces as well as details about new cyber and space operations were leaked, local media reported.
Captain Marwaha was arrested while carrying a phone inside Indian Air Force headquarters — something prohibited by military rules.
He was questioned by military intelligence before being handed over to the custody of Delhi police.
He faces up to seven years in jail under the India's Official Secrets Act.
It is not the first time an Indian military member has been caught out sharing information with foreign spies on social media.
In 2015, an airman was arrested for sharing sensitive information with a Pakistani spy posing as a British media worker, who asked him to hand over military secrets for money.
