ISI used Facebook to honeytrap IAF airman into spilling secrets

[Dark Sorrow]

NEW DELHI: Ranjith KK, an Indian Air Force employee, got a Facebook friend request from a pretty woman based in the United Kingdom three years ago. He thought himself the luckiest of young men when the friendship took a spicy turn that included dirty talk late into the night. Already addicted to social media, the 30-something man began to remain online almost through the day for the woman, McNaught Damini, to come online and fulfil his fantasies.

McNaught's profile on Facebook showed her to be a resident of Beeston, Leeds, an executive for an investigative magazine there. Ranjith, whose job as a lead aircraft man (LAC) was to help the technical crew look after the aircraft, was titillated by the intimate chatter made all the more naughty by the woman's strong British accent. They soon moved from text chats to audio and photo exchanges on Whatsapp.

During one such tete-a-tete, McNaught seductively asked the Kerala man for some information on the IAF, ostensibly for the news magazine she worked for. She had earlier even interviewed him for the magazine, so an enamoured Ranjith thought nothing of divulging the info. In fact, he thought it a bonus when she said she would pay him for any material he passed to her.

One day, the woman asked him if he could give her some details about TAC-DE (Tactical and Combat Deployment Establishment) in Gwalior. He refused, knowing how strategically important this unit is to the IAF. He could as well have been hit by a missile, for the woman suddenly turned from coy to vicious, confronting him with recordings of the chats and documentation of the information he had shared earlier.
Too late, Ranjith realised he had become the latest victim of an ISI honeytrap. Threatened with exposure, he had no option but to pass on crucial IAF-related dope to an ISI handler he was introduced to. Every time he moved stations for training - Belgaum to Chennai, and lately to Delhi -- the ISI dogged him, sometimes over Facebook and Whatsapp, but also via Skype.

Thrice in Belgaum, six times in Chennai and also in Delhi, Ranjith leaked sensitive data on air force exercises, movement of aircraft and deployment of various flying units, his major lapse being supplying the position and other details of Mirage and fighter jets at TAC-DE.

Military Intelligence (MI) and Delhi Police caught up with him, and Ranjith was arrested on Monday, hours after the IAF dismissed him from service. Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police, Crime Branch, revealed that the man had been under electronic surveillance for some months after MI sleuths had tracked communications between him and his handler. A few days ago, a police team led by ACP KPS Malhotra interrogated him at length in Bathinda. They brought him to Delhi, where he was formally arrested, completely wrecking Ranjith's planned tryst on New Year's Eve with his lady love at a luxury hotel in New Delhi.

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Ranjith KK, the 30-year-old Indian Air Force official who was dismissed from service and arrested from an airbase in Punjab earlier this week, had allegedly passed on official secrets to a suspected intelligence operative.

According to Delhi police crime branch, the official had been compromised after falling prey to a honey trap set up by the suspected operative, Damini McNought, who posed as a journalist on Facebook.

The arrest, made during a combined operation by Delhi police, military intelligence and Air Force liaisoning unit (LU), is being considered another major breakthrough after an ISI-backed espionage network was busted in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month.

Ranjith was posted in Bhatinda as an LAC (Leading Air Craftsman) before being dismissed on Monday. Bhatinda serves as a front line airbase near Pakistan border and has a very important surveillance unit, according to the officials. He is married and has a kid as well, said police.

"The accused joined IAF in 2010 and has served in other states as well. He was booked under official secrets act and produced in a city court which sent him to four-day police custody," said Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of Delhi police (Crime).

Investigators told dna that Ranjith was contacted by Damini on Facebook nearly a year ago. Damini told Ranjith that she was working for a leading British magazine as a war correspondent and needed his help for a story she was working on.

"The suspect offered to transfer money into a bank account under Ranjith's name. We are looking into recent transactions made towards that account," said a senior police official. In exchange, Ranjith sent official secrets that included Air Force deployments, exercises and troop movements, he added.

Sources told dna that Rs30,000 transferred into the account of Ranjith from a foreign bank had tipped off the intelligence agencies. "Air Force had kept him under surveillance for nearly three months. He had passed on critical sensitive information including air field markings through VOIP calls," said the source.

The accused has disclosed that the alleged spy has a British accent, which was apparent in their conversations during later phase of their relationship, interrogators said.

Ranjith's relationship with the suspected operative took a turn after the duo cosied up to each other. By this time Ranjith had been frequently talking to the suspected spy over WhatsApp and Viber.

"We cannot delve into the exact nature of the conversation. But it is believed that the alleged Intel operative had begun to blackmail the accused, threatening to publish the content he had sent her on social media," an investigator told dna.

Delhi police are now trying to pinpoint the location of Damini. Her Facebook profile shows Leeds, United Kingdom as present address and has some others with military background too in friends' list.

The Crime Branch had earlier busted a major espionage network involving officials of the armed forces. Five persons were arrested including personnel of Border Security Force and Rashtriya Rifles. With a second espionage case coming to fore, the Crime Branch is not ruling out the possibility of multiple espionage networks in Indian armed forces.

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[Dark Sorrow]

Former Air Force technician Ranjith K.K., arrested for allegedly supplying security information across the border, had no clue that he was doing so for Pakistan and thought he was helping a British journalist generate content, said the police.

“During his interrogation, he has revealed he was clueless about those behind the telephonic voice that beguiled him to the extent that Ranjith found out and shared every bit of information sought from him,” said a police source.

In exchange, he received not only money but also a promise that the “woman” on the other end, who identified herself as Damini McNaught, would come to India and meet him, the police added.

Damini McNaught was the chosen profile name by the user behind the account. Ranjith, who is married and has a child, could not help being drawn towards the woman’s voice.

The engagement soon went from business to personal.

Despite repeated requests by Ranjith to talk to the woman on video chat, Damini would use one pretext or another to turn him down.

“The person who we suspect was always and is currently in Pakistan would dodge his incessant pleas saying she looked exactly like her Facebook profile picture. Then there were times she said she was going offline or that her boss was summoning her,” said the source.

As for the information he purportedly leaked, the Delhi Police said unlike information about ground troops like the Army or the paramilitary guarding the border, those privy to information about Air Force cannot launch any immediate action.

They added that such information may provide crucial in the long term. Ranjith allegedly told her about deployment and movement of IAF personnel from not just his base station, but also Jaisalmer and Gwalior, besides information on air markings.

Police custody

A Delhi court on Tuesday sent the officer to four days’ police custody.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has charged the resident of Malappuram district in Kerala with allegedly passing on secret information to suspected operatives of Pakistan intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Metropolitan Magistrate Punit Pahwa sent Ranjith to police custody, allowing a submission by the Delhi Police that he was required to be taken outside the Capital — to Jaisalmer and Gwalior.

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[hardip]

एक और गद्दार पकडा गया.. देश को बेचते...

 

[hit&run]

What a jerk. People won't sleep with women they know and friend for many years, but here some ******s start leaking on Facebook pictures. Seriously are people so dumb especially those who get jobs in defense forces ?

Glad ISI moles are getting caught in good numbers. Not only it shows Paki desperation of losing badly to India in all aspects but it shows high of Indian moles operating in Pakistan that they hardly get caught like this loser has been.

 

[Kshatriya87]

Pathetic. Most of them do it for money. But this guy crossed the limits.

 

[Brood Father]

Kill him and make a example of him , find this women , kill her too or whomsoever is behind this
Atleast fear in minds of others may prevent this dastardly act

 

[salute]

only for such little amount of money he did this treason.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

Such things happen. He is just a regular guy, honey trap has even caught big fishes.

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

I think he should have informed the authorities about his mistake and worked as a misleading informer or somthing like that.

 

[Illusive]

What a jerk. People won't sleep with women they know and friend for many years, but here some ******s start leaking on Facebook pictures. Seriously are people so dumb especially those who get jobs in defense forces ?

Glad ISI moles are getting caught in good numbers. Not only it shows Paki desperation of losing badly to India in all aspects but it shows high of Indian moles operating in Pakistan that they hardly get caught like this loser has been.

Its not even a new thing either, i am pretty sure there are directives given to these guys since such incidents have happened in the past. When you are in the armed forces, its your duty to be alert. I can understand him wanting to chat, but when a person starts asking questions about divulging sensitive info, you don't need to have spidey senses to know something is wrong here.

 

[hit&run]

This is the 5th or 6th time I am saying on this forum that prostitution should be legalized in India. It will solve many problems. But to do this you need a statesman who understand complex things not some simpleton morality freak.

 

[asingh10]

Such things happen. He is just a regular guy, honey trap has even caught big fishes.

That's the real purpose behind the Immy aunties who come for Aman Ki Asha

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

That's the real purpose behind the Immy aunties who come for Aman Ki Asha

When our PM can sabotage the entire RAW operations in Pak after hearing praise about his piss drinking skills, these current matters are really small.

Ofcourse, we should keep a tab on it. But @hit&run made an excellent point about prostitution. But @hit&run - would it not be much easier to honey trap people if prostitution is legal? I do not see how such problem can be avoided. May be it will make it even easier to catch hold of young men.

 

[asingh10]

When our PM can sabotage the entire RAW operations in Pak after hearing praise about his piss drinking skills, these current matters are really small.

Ofcourse, we should keep a tab on it. But @hit&run made an excellent point about prostitution. But @hit&run - would it not be much easier to honey trap people if prostitution is legal? I do not see how such problem can be avoided. May be it will make it even easier to catch hold of young men.

Hindu elite post british + mughal rule are heavily deracinated and cut from their roots.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

Bro Prostitution is LEGAL in India only pimping is criminal offense.Like many Indian laws in every major/minor cities there are famous Brothels so obviously pimps are working there without arrests.

India's problem is small idiotic employees are arrested and Rich& Politicians scot-free even after murder&treason.

Very important point @saty.

Shashi Tharoor is still scot-free and giving gyan to the world.

 

[dhananjay1]

“The person who we suspect was always and is currently in Pakistan would dodge his incessant pleas saying she looked exactly like her Facebook profile picture. Then there were times she said she was going offline or that her boss was summoning her," he hung onto this will o wisp for years, must be a highly frustrated geek/loner type.

 

[Blackwater]

Lets squeeze honey trapped in his balls [emoji38][emoji38][emoji38][emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]

 

[Bornubus]

Just opposite to the saying "Pati fauj main Biwi Mauj Main".

 

[guru-dutt]

Just opposite to the saying "Pati fauj main Biwi Mauj Main".

kitno ko mauj karai hai bhai kuch apne gyan kee cheeten is paleed short dark evil yanidoo baniye per bhee daal do