Mumbai: ATS arrests Naval apprentice for ‘sharing’ info with Pak operatives

The accused, Gaurav Patil, shared critical details through WhatsApp and Facebook. Representation pic

A 23-year-old apprentice at a naval dockyard was arrested by the Maharashtra ATS for allegedly sharing confidential information - specifically, the names and locations of Indian Navy ships - to Pakistan intelligence operatives (PIO) in exchange for financial gain. The accused, Gaurav Patil, shared critical details through WhatsApp and Facebook. An officer said, "He had shared crucial information with at least three PIOs."

Sources suggest that Patil provided information from May to October 2023 to the PIOs, Mukta Mahto, Payal Angel and Arti Sharma. These individuals allegedly lured Patil, offering financial benefits in return for sensitive Indian Navy ship details and movements. While the ATS suspects that Mahto, Angel, and Sharma, operating under false identities on WhatsApp, are linked to the same person associated with the PIO, they've found Mukta Mahto to be in West Bengal. This discovery has sparked a manhunt to ascertain her role in providing money to Patil.

Earlier, the ATS arrested senior DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar, who was approached similarly by the PIO. While Kurulkar didn't receive financial benefits, he shared crucial details in exchange for explicit content with the PIO agent. An officer mentioned, "PIOs use numerous fake social media profiles, often impersonating Indian women, to entice personnel working in sensitive roles and gain confidential information."