Mumbai: Mazagaon shipyard worker held for leaking secrets to Pak honeytrap

Kalpesh Baykar was allegedly in touch with Pakistani agents between 2001 and 2023

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has apprehended an individual employed with the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders - a prominent service provider to the defence forces - on suspicion of divulging sensitive information to agents associated with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. According to the ATS, an FIR has been registered under the Official Secrets Act against Kalpesh Baykar, 30, who has been arrested after he was allegedly found to be in contact with a Pakistani intelligence operative (PIO) between 2021 and 2023.

Sources said that Baykar worked as a fabricator with the defence company since 2014. He started divulging confidential information after possibly being honeytrapped and was allegedly receiving monetary benefits in return.

The launch of a frigate built by Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) for the Indian Navy. File pic/MDL

"Baykar had access to a significant amount of sensitive information related to fabrication work, including designs and maps of sensitive defence projects falling under the Official Secrets Act. The investigation has uncovered that he was sharing this information in exchange for monetary benefits," said a senior officer from Maharashtra ATS.

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An official stated that Baykar had chatted with the PIO on social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, and over time the duo started having voice conversations. According to the ATS, Baykar also shared some photos from his workplace with the PIO and claimed to have received money in exchange for these and other sensitive information.

"We have taken him into custody for interrogation and all his financial transactions are currently under scrutiny. His phone has been handed over to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to recover the chats and data he shared, including what has been deleted," said an officer.

This isn't the first such case. In December 2023, the Maharashtra ATS arrested Gaurav Patil, a 23-year-old working at the Mumbai Dockyard, on charges of sharing confidential information with Pakistani agents named Payal Angel and Aarti Sharma through Facebook and WhatsApp from May 2023 to October 2023.

Additionally, Patil, who was working as an apprentice at the dockyard and privy to information about navy ship arrivals and departures, had allegedly shared these details with the PIOs. It is also alleged that Patil received money in exchange for this information from an individual named Mukta Mohit.

Currently, the ATS is searching for other suspects involved in the case.

2014
Year Kalpesh Baykar joined the shipyard