During the investigation of a case in connection with the honeytrap case, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) discovered 900 chats between the Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO) and the accused, Gaurav Arjun Patil. The chats reveal startling details about the alleged involvement of Patil, a trainee civil apprentice at the naval dockyard, in the unauthorised sharing of sensitive information.
Gaurav Patil, accused of sharing vital information about the Naval warships, fell into the honey trap of a PIO agent who introduced herself as Payal Angel on Facebook. Proper scrutiny was done by the PIO agent for targeting Gaurav as he had introduced himself as an employee of the naval shipyard. The PIO agent cultivated him, showing keen interest in the navy, ships and warships. During their chats, Angel inquired about warships and submarines anchored at the dockyard jetty. To counter check, Angel shared pictures of warships and submarines inquiring about their presence at the naval shipyard, arrival of the same and the duration of its stay at the shipyard.
Accused trapped by another PIO
Simultaneously, Gaurav was also trapped by another PIO Aarti Sharma, who claimed herself to be based in Dubai. She also initiated contact through Facebook and later switched to WhatsApp. According to sources, Gaurav believed he was dating both females and anticipated meeting them soon, unaware that both were PIO agents.
They sent him pictures of equipment and asked for confirmation regarding their installation in ships or submarines. Additionally, they shared handmade diagrams related to upgrades, providing explanations to help him understand their specific information they needed. Sources suggest they sought details of warships and submarines parked in the jetty, the reasons behind their presence, which ships were undergoing trial routes, and the duration after upgrades. Occasionally, he also shared ongoing repair and other work-related pictures with them.
Both agents engaged in long objectionable talk with him, worked together to confirm the accuracy of the information and ensured that Gaurav was not misleading them under the influence of any agency. Therefore, the information sought by Angel will also be requested by Sharma a few days later.
Accused was in touch with Angel & Sharma
According to sources, Gaurav, appointed as a trainee civil apprentice at the naval dockyard in November 2022, and was in touch with Angel and Sharma between May 2023 to October 2023.
Sources said that Gaurav received only Rs2000 when he expressed a need for some money for personal expenses. According to the sources, Gaurav received the money through G-Pay from one of the Mukta Mahto Bank accounts in West Bengal, but the agency suspects that bank account might be opened with fake documents.
According to agency sources, Gaurav was in the preliminary stage of a PIO recruitment honeytrap plan. ATS recovered several pictures from his mobile phone, including images of various ships, Tiger Gate, Lion Gate and other workstation pictures, along with details about the ongoing repair and upgrading work on ships at the naval dockyard. His phone has been sent to the forensic lab, and agencies are scrutinising his social media accounts and other accounts linked to people who became mutual friends through Gaurav to PIO operatives.
