Ghaziabad, July 11: Weeks after the arrest of DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulekar in an espionage case, another government employee has been apprehended by Ghaziabad Police in a honey-trap case. Naveen Pal, an employee of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), was taken into custody on Tuesday on charges of passing confidential documents to Pakistan.

According to Free Press Journal report, Naveen Pal had been sharing sensitive information, including documents related to the G-20 summit, with a female ISI agent named Anjali through WhatsApp. A probe into Pal revealed multiple financial transactions in Pal's bank account. DRDO Scientist Espionage-Honeytrap Case: Special Pune Court Sends Accused Pradeep Kurulkar to ATS Custody Till May 16.

Authorities are now intensifying their efforts to gather additional evidence and ascertain the full extent of Pal's involvement in the alleged espionage case. Multiple security and investigative agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, are currently interrogating the accused.

The case against Naveen was filed by Sub-Inspector Prahlad Singh from Crossing Republic Police Station under various sections of the Government Secrets Act of 1923 and Section 66F of the IT Act. Following the filing of the case, the police apprehended Naveen near the Shani temple on Monday afternoon.  According to multiple reports, Naveen, a resident of the Bhim Nagar area of Crossing Republic, holds a 12th-grade education and works as a Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) in the Ministry of External Affairs. DRDO Espionage Case: Accused Scientist Dr Pradeep Kurulkar Leaked Secrets To Get Intimate With Pakistani Agent, Called Her 'Babe', Reveals Maharashtra ATS Chargesheet.

During the investigation, the police discovered an Apple mobile phone in Naveen's possession. Upon examining the photo backup section of the device, they found classified documents related to the Ministry of External Affairs and the G-20 summit, all marked as 'secret.' Additionally, screenshots of some documents were also found, which Naveen had shared via WhatsApp using the contact saved as 'Anjali Calcutta.' Initial findings indicate that Naveen claimed to have befriended a girl named Anjali on social media.

Suspicious financial transactions were detected in Naveen's bank account, suggesting that he had received monetary compensation in exchange for sharing confidential documents. Investigators suspect that the woman known as Anjali may not actually be from Kolkata but could have links to Pakistan or the ISI. The police have informed the Ministry of External Affairs about the incident.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 11, 2023 01:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).