New Delhi: An Indian Air Force (IAF) wing commander allegedly shared classified military information with a Pakistani intelligence operative in exchange for a nude picture of the woman, according to a chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police. The operative allegedly used an Indian mobile SIM card issued in Gujarat to contact him through WhatsApp and sent him malware to be installed on the phones and laptops of his subordinates to extract sensitive information.
The accused, Wing Commander Manorath Singh Sabharwal, was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in August 2026 for allegedly sharing details of war plans, drone capabilities, Air Force operations and military deployments. A Delhi court is awaiting the required government sanction before taking cognisance of the chargesheet and has directed the police to expedite the process. It has ordered Sabharwal's production on December 5.
According to the chargesheet, Sabharwal was in contact with the operative between January 12 and April 1, 2026. He came under scrutiny after security personnel stopped him at his office on Race Course and found him carrying an iPhone, which was not permitted because he headed a secret IAF unit. An examination of the phone allegedly revealed the sharing of classified information, following which the IAF was alerted.
The chargesheet alleges that Sabharwal was the custodian of classified information related to the IAF's war plans but shared it with the operative.
He allegedly disclosed details about the Leh airbase, including its flight capabilities and the fact that it was used occasionally rather than routinely. He also allegedly shared information about the capabilities of war aircraft that could operate from the base, drone warfare capabilities, and personnel involved in the operations.
According to court sources, the chargesheet also alleges that he disclosed information about the deployment of fighter aircraft in Leh and a military exercise at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Suratgarh.
The final report further alleges that the officer shared the strength and organisational structure of a secret drone unit, details of drone trials, the endurance of the weapon system and its targeting mechanisms. The alleged disclosures could compromise critical military assets, reveal operational vulnerabilities and pose a threat to national security, the sources said.
The chargesheet has been filed before the Patiala House Court, but cognisance is pending as the required sanctions to prosecute the officer have not yet been obtained.
In an order dated October 31, Chief Judicial Magistrate Mridul Gupta noted that sanction to prosecute the accused under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was pending.
"It is submitted on behalf of the state that the sanction qua Section 152 of the BNS (as required) under Section 217 BNSS and sanction qua offences under the Official Secrets Act, under Section 13 (3) of the Official Secrets Act, is pending. It is stated that the process of sanction is underway," the court said.
The BNS section dealing with offences against the state penalises acts that endanger the country's sovereignty, unity and integrity. Section 217 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) requires government sanction for a court to take cognisance of the alleged offence.
Section 13(3) of the Official Secrets Act also requires a complaint made by or under the authority of the appropriate government before a court can take cognisance of an offence under the Act.
The magistrate noted that counsel for the accused had claimed there had been considerable delay in obtaining the sanction.
"The DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) concerned is directed to monitor the expeditious processing of the sanction in the present matter. Let a report as to the same be filed by the DCP concerned under his signature by the next date of hearing, considering the delay already caused in the present matter," the court said.
(With agency inputs from PTI, ANI)
