IAF Officer Allegedly Shared War Plans For Explicit Photos: Report

An Indian Air Force Wing Commander allegedly shared a page from a classified war plan with a suspected Pakistani intelligence operative after receiving an explicit photograph, according to a Delhi Police chargesheet reported by The Indian Express.

Police say the officer also disclosed information on drones, aircraft deployments and sensitive military locations.

The officer was arrested in May under the Official Secrets Act. The allegations have not been tested in court, and the case is sub judice.

What The Chargesheet Alleges

According to the chargesheet, the officer communicated with the suspected operative on WhatsApp from January 12 to April 1, 2026. Police allege he uploaded a page from a “secret war plan” after receiving an explicit image and offered to share further pages in exchange for more. The chargesheet quotes him as saying he would provide “a new page of (the) war plan” for each such photograph.

The information allegedly disclosed included the strength and structure of a specialised drone unit, results of drone trials, weapon endurance and targeting systems. Police also cited information about locations earmarked for deployment during hostilities, fighter aircraft deployments in Leh and a military exercise at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Suratgarh.

The chargesheet’s account of the WhatsApp exchange lists 3,008 text messages, 65 images, 42 voice calls and four video calls, among other exchanges.

Police further allege that the operative sent malware applications that could access information on the officer’s devices and communications with his superiors. At the operative’s direction, the Wing Commander allegedly installed spyware on information and communication technology devices used by five subordinates.

Investigators told the court that the alleged disclosures could have compromised military assets, exposed operational vulnerabilities and put national security at risk. The extent of any damage remains a matter for the investigation and judicial proceedings.

The case followed a complaint from the IAF. The force said the officer had been under active surveillance before being handed over to law-enforcement agencies. Delhi Police filed the chargesheet on July 30, according to its earlier statement reported by The Indian Express.

Other alleged honey-trap cases

A recent investigation involving the Visakhapatnam Naval Dockyard has drawn scrutiny. In October, Andhra Pradesh’s Counter Intelligence Cell said it had arrested four people in a wider espionage probe, with 18 suspects—including 13 Navy personnel—reported to be under investigation. The Indian Express reported that investigators allege fake social-media identities were used to befriend people associated with the dockyard, with some later blackmailed or offered money for information. In a related case, two dockyard-company employees were accused of sharing information about the number of ships and submarines at the restricted facility.

In 2022, Delhi Police arrested IAF sergeant Devendra Sharma, alleging that he had been honey-trapped online and had shared information about defence installations. Police said the woman who contacted him sought details about IAF radar positions and senior officers.

A separate 2019 espionage case involved Navy sailors accused of being honey-trapped through social media and sharing sensitive information. The National Investigation Agency later described the probe as involving an international network that allegedly sought information about naval ships, submarines and defence establishments.

Not every espionage case involved a romantic lure. In 2021, an Army constable and a contractor who supplied vegetables to the Pokhran base were arrested over allegations that classified documents were passed to Pakistan’s ISI in exchange for money, according to police reports.