Armyman nabbed in Hyderabad for espionage

A Naik Subedar with Army was on Wednesday arrested by the Hyderabad police on the charge of sharing information about strategic locations of Army bases and deployment of units with a woman, suspected to be a Pakistani national, through the Internet.

The accused was identified as Patan Kumar Poddar, Naik Subedar of EME Unit at Secunderabad.

Commissioner's Task Force, in liaison with Army authorities, arrested Poddar acting on a tip-off, Hyderabad Police Commissioner M Mahender Reddy said in a press release.

According to police, Poddar was also involved in a network marketing business for a company named 'Secured Life', and had tried to persuade his colleagues in the Army to join his network.

His posting provided him opportunity to target the defence personnel who came into contact with him mainly for train reservations, police said.

Some time ago a woman, apparently a Pakistani national, befriended him through social media, and got him to give her information about Army's strategic locations and deployment of some defence units, the Commissioner said.

She had shared with him her nude pictures to entice him, according to the investigation officer. "We will check his emails and his social media accounts to verify this," said the officer.

Poddar spoke with several Army personnel and gathered information about locations of artillery regiments, commands, corps, division headquarters, etc.

Police have registered a case under Official Secrets Act (for espionage) as well as under Prize Chits Money Circulation Banning Act, 1977 (for getting involved in the network marketing business) against him.

At present he has been lodged in judicial custody.