The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a 31-year-old manufacturing engineer from Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Navi Mumbai. The engineer is suspected of giving “sensitive” information to a Pakistani intelligence officer. This is a development that worries me. The arrest has raised worries about possible security holes and shows how important it is to be alert to protect the country’s interests.
MDL leaders wouldn’t say what they thought about the ATS move when asked, saying that they were worried about security. The fact that the accused is being charged under the Official Secrets Act and other laws shows how serious the case is. He is accused of giving defense-related information to the foreign operator, whom he is said to have become friends with on social media.
According to the ATS probe, the accused stayed in touch with the Pakistani operator through Facebook and WhatsApp from November 2021 to May 2023. This is a very troubling pattern. At that time, he is said to have worked for MDL, a company with ties to the defense department, and, likely because he was paid to do so, gave information about sensitive areas of strategic importance.
When asked, the Navi Mumbai ATS team quickly booked the suspects along with the unknown intelligence officer who was stationed in Pakistan. Even though the investigation is still going on, the event is a clear warning of the ongoing threats to national security and the need for strict steps to stop the illegal release of private information that could put the safety and authority of the country at risk.
