Ex-cook of IAF officers' mess detained for having secret information

GORAKHPUR: A former cook of the Indian Air Force officers' mess has been booked by the police under the Official Secrets Act for possessing confidential information, including the take-off schedule of the IAF's fighter planes.

A native of Banka district in Bihar, Shashikant Jha was initially detained by the IAF and was later handed over to the police on being found in possession of sensitive information about the Air Force, said Inspector Pradeep Shukla of Shahpur police station today.

"The Air Force officials had detained Jha on Saturday after finding him having information pertaining to take-off schedule of fighter planes inside the Air Force station campus," said Shukla.


The police have booked him under OSA and recovered documents, including a map of IAF station in Gorakhpur and other secret information including the schedule of the fighter planes and its other programmes, Shukla said.

Jha lived here in a rented room near Durga temple in Nanda Nagar under Shahpur police station along with his wife who has gone to her father's house.

During interrogation, the police came to know that Jha was earlier a cook at Air force officers' mess and he worked there till September 2017. He used to note secret information, while hearing officers' conversation.

He had no permission or pass to enter the Air Force colony when he was caught by the Air Force security (on Saturday), the police said.