Dibrugarh: A staffer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been arrested from the Chabua Air Force Station in Assam’s Dibrugarh district for allegedly spying for Pakistani intelligence and leaking highly sensitive military information from one of the country’s most strategically vital air bases in the northeast — a breach that has set alarm bells ringing within defence and intelligence circles.The accused, Sumit Kumar (36), was serving as a multi-tasking staff (MTS) at the Chabua Air Force station when he was detained on Sunday in a coordinated joint operation by Rajasthan intelligence and Air Force intelligence. He was subsequently taken to Jaipur, where multiple intelligence agencies are conducting intensive interrogation at a high-security facility.Investigators say Kumar had been in regular contact with Pakistani intelligence handlers for nearly two years. Exploiting his position inside the base, he allegedly collected classified information and transmitted it to his handlers through social media platforms — all in exchange for money. The nature of the intelligence he is suspected of having compromised is deeply troubling. According to officials, Kumar allegedly leaked the locations of fighter aircraft, details of missile deployments, sensitive personnel-related information, and strategic inputs from multiple Air Force bases, including one in Bikaner. He is also suspected of having assisted Pakistani handlers in creating social media accounts using mobile numbers registered in his own name — a method apparently designed to conceal the communication trail.“The accused exploited his access to a high-security installation to systematically gather and pass on sensitive information. This is a serious breach and the full extent of the damage is being assessed,” a senior official said.The breakthrough in the case came after Rajasthan intelligence arrested one Jhabara Ram from Jaisalmer in Jan 2026. His interrogation unravelled a deeper network with suspected cross-border links, with the trail eventually leading investigators to Kumar at Chabua. Acting swiftly on these leads, a coordinated operation was launched and Kumar was apprehended from the air base. Kumar has been booked under the stringent provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.The Chabua Air Force Station, located in Dibrugarh district close to India’s international borders with both China and Myanmar, is a frontline installation of immense strategic significance. The alleged penetration of such a sensitive facility by a Pak-linked operative has raised urgent questions about insider threats within high-security defence establishments.Investigation is on with officials indicating that further developments are expected as the interrogation deepens and the full contours of the espionage network come to light.
