Intimate photographs, malware and military secrets: Inside alleged ‘Pakistan honeytrap’ targeting IAF officer

An Indian Air Force wing commander allegedly leaked classified war plans, military deployment details and information about the operational capabilities of a strategic airbase to a ‘Pakistani intelligence operative’ in exchange for intimate photographs, according to a Delhi Police chargesheet, as a court awaits government approval to prosecute him.

The accused officer, identified as Wing Commander Manorath Singh Sabharwal, was allegedly in contact with the woman through WhatsApp between January 12 and April 1, 2026, with investigators accusing him of sharing sensitive defence information and potentially facilitating access to classified data held by other military personnel.

According to The Times of India, the chargesheet filed by the Counter Intelligence Agency of the Delhi Police Special Cell before the Patiala House Court alleges that Sabharwal disclosed information about India’s war plans, the operational capabilities of the Leh airbase and its drone warfare capabilities in exchange for photographs of the woman.

The investigation also uncovered an alleged attempt by the ‘Pakistani handler’ to expand access to military information by sending malware to the officer, with instructions to install the software on the mobile phones and laptops of his subordinates to extract data from their devices, the newspaper reported.

Malware bid to access military devices

The chargesheet alleges that Sabharwal was entrusted with confidential information relating to the Indian Air Force’s war plans and shared details about the Leh airbase, including its flight-operational capabilities.

WhatsApp exchanges reportedly showed the officer telling the woman that the airbase was used occasionally rather than routinely and that all types of military aircraft could operate from there.

He also allegedly disclosed information about India’s drone warfare capabilities and personnel associated with the operations.

Investigators reportedly traced the officer’s communications to a woman who used an Indian mobile SIM issued in Gujarat to contact him through WhatsApp, despite allegedly operating from ‘Pakistan’.

According to the Times of India report, the officer came under scrutiny after security personnel at his office on Race Course found him carrying an iPhone that he was not authorised to possess because of the sensitive nature of his assignment.

He was heading a classified IAF unit, the report said. An examination of the device allegedly revealed communications with the ‘Pakistani operative’ and the exchange of sensitive information.

Sabharwal was arrested on May 30 and has been charged under the Official Secrets Act and other relevant legal provisions.

Delhi court awaits prosecution sanction

Meanwhile, a Delhi court has directed police to expedite the process of obtaining government sanction to prosecute the wing commander before taking cognisance of the chargesheet.

According to The New Indian Express, Chief Judicial Magistrate Mridul Gupta, in an order dated October 31, noted that the required sanctions under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Official Secrets Act were still pending.

The Delhi Police informed the court that the process of securing approval was under way, including sanction under Section 217 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for the alleged offence against the state and under Section 13(3) of the Official Secrets Act.

Section 152 of the BNS deals with acts endangering India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity, while the relevant provisions of the BNSS and the Official Secrets Act require government authorisation before a court can take cognisance of the respective offences.

The magistrate directed the deputy commissioner of police concerned to monitor the process and submit a report on the progress of the sanction under his signature at the next hearing.

The court also ordered that the accused be produced on December 5.

The case is currently awaiting the necessary prosecution approvals, with the court yet to take cognisance of the chargesheet.