Kolkata, August 26: Kolkata Police on Saturday said that its Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a man attempting a honey-trapping drive to extract confidential security information and passing it to a Pakistani secret service agency. “Acting on credible information from a sister agency, the STF arrested the person late Friday for his direct involvement in activities prejudicial to the safety of the country,” said a top official of the city police.

The accused has been identified as Bhakt Banshi Jha (36), a resident of the Darbhanga district of Bihar. He was summoned for questioning at the STF office at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lal Bazar, Kolkata, on Friday evening. After a long questioning session, Jha was arrested. DRDO Espionage Case: Accused Scientist Dr Pradeep Kurulkar Leaked Secrets To Get Intimate With Pakistani Agent, Called Her 'Babe', Reveals Maharashtra ATS Chargesheet.

“Secret information like photographs, videographs and online chat could be found from his mobile phone during the enquiry, which was shared with a suspected intelligence operative of Pakistan by the accused person,” the city police official said. Jha will be presented to a lower court in Kolkata on Saturday, and the public prosecutor will seek his police custody. “He has been booked under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and the Indian Penal Code. Visakhapatnam Honeytrap Case: CISF Constable's Phones Seized in Vizag on Suspected Espionage By Pakistani Woman.

The intelligence operative of Pakistan, with whom Jha frequently chatted through different social media platforms, has been identified as Aarushi Sharma. Before coming to Kolkata, Jha had been residing in Delhi for quite some time, where he is believed to have taken photographs of vital defence installations and cantonments.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2023 02:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).