Karnataka Police Arrest Gujarat Man in Espionage Case Targeting Indian Navy
Gujarat man nabbed in Indian Navy data leak probe.
Karnataka's Udupi Police have successfully apprehended 34-year-old Hirendra Kumar, a resident of Anand Taluk in Gujarat, constituting the third significant arrest in a deepening espionage investigation involving the unauthorized transmission of classified Indian Navy information to foreign operatives, raising serious concerns about maritime security vulnerabilities.
Kumar's capture was facilitated through meticulous technical surveillance operations overseen by senior investigating officer Harsh Priyamvada from the Karkala sub-division, uncovering his alleged involvement in procuring and distributing SIM cards essential for maintaining clandestine communication channels within the network.
According to official police disclosures, Kumar registered SIM cards under his own identity before transferring them to the primary suspects in return for financial remuneration, thereby supplying critical one-time passwords that enabled the activation and operation of WhatsApp accounts directly connected to handlers based in Pakistan.
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These secure, encrypted platforms were instrumental in allowing the espionage ring to circumvent conventional monitoring systems while systematically relaying highly sensitive data, encompassing naval vessel identification codes, detailed repair timetables, and strategic infrastructure specifications obtained from operations at the Udupi Cochin Shipyard facility in Malpe.
The probe, initiated following the detection of a security compromise in November 2025, had earlier resulted in the detention of two employees from Uttar Pradesh affiliated with subcontractor Shushma Marine Pvt Ltd—Rohit, aged 29, and Santri, aged 37—who are accused of financial motivations in sharing the compromised materials and currently remain in judicial custody facing stringent charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, as authorities pursue leads suggesting a broader, multi-state support structure.
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