IAF officer taken into custody for possible leaking of classified information

NEW DELHI: An Indian Air Force (IAF) officer has been taken into custody for possibly leaking on of classified information, sources said on Wednesday.

Sources explained that the matter came to light during a routine counter-intelligence surveillance carried out by the IAF’s Central Security and Investigation Team.

“It was discovered that an officer was indulging in certain unwanted activities through unauthorised electronic devices, which is against existing orders. He has been taken into custody for further questioning,” said sources, adding that it is too early in the probe to establish whether the officer was indulging in espionage.


The officer’s identity has been concealed due to the investigation into the matter. However, reports claim that the officer is posted at the Air Headquarters in Delhi, where he had access to certain classified information.

Reports suggest that the officer had befriended a woman over social media platform, Facebook. They also reportedly communicated over the messaging platform, Whatsapp, where the officer shared classified information, according to reports.

The defence services follow a strict social media policy wherein personnel are barred from posting their photographs in uniform, identity and any official matter.

In a previous case, the Delhi Police in December 2015 had arrested a former IAF officer for allegedly passing sensitive information to people suspected to have been backed by the Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.