How Indian embassy employee arrested for spying was honey-trapped by woman

It’s the dramatic story of an Indian embassy employee in Moscow becoming victim to a honey trap. In the latest development, investigators revealed on Tuesday that Satendra Siwal, who was detained in Lucknow on 28 January, was allegedly honey-trapped and paid Rs 25 lakh to participate in a complex international conspiracy and espionage scheme run by the Pakistani spy organisation Inter-Services Intelligence, as reported by TOI.

The 27-year-old had been employed as a security assistant in Moscow since 2021. The ATS of the UP police claimed that Siwal confessed to leaking information about Indian military installations and issues pertaining to the country’s foreign offices.

Here’s what we know about the honey trap. What else has the UP ATS uncovered in the investigation.

Pakistan ISI honey trap

Satendra Siwal befriended the woman on social media, as per the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).

“During his tenure in Moscow, he came in contact with a woman who claimed to be from Canada and developed a relationship with her, despite being married and having children,” as per a TOI report.

The woman tricked Siwal into disclosing sensitive information by posing as an ISI agent. An ATS officer stated, “Siwal was offered money in exchange for information through her contacts,” the report added.

He shared secret documents related to weapon systems of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy including warplanes and submarines, said Rajeev Tyagi, ATS inspector in Meerut.

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“Siwal came in touch with the woman last year who had made an online profile in the name of Pooja Mehra. She honey-trapped him and enticed him to share secret documents with her for money,” said Tyagi.

“Siwal has claimed that the documents he shared with the woman are still on his phone. The forensic examination of his phone and other gadgets used by him is being done,” the ATS inspector added.

The ATS in its probe through electronic and physical surveillance found that he was involved in anti-India activities with the network of the ISI handlers.

Siwal, a resident of Shahmahiuddinpur village in Hapur, is currently in 10-day ATS remand till 16 February.

Siwal confessed his crime

The ATS officials also said that the woman’s social media account was being handled by the Pakistan intelligence agency.

The Meerut unit of ATS arrested Siwal, who was working as the IBSA (India-based security assistant) in the Indian embassy in Moscow since 2021, on 4 February from Lucknow.

He was arrested after an FIR was registered against him at the ATS police station, Lucknow, under Section 121A (waging war against the country) of the IPC and the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

During questioning, Siwal could not give satisfactory answers and “confessed” to his crime.

According to ATS officers, Siwal failed to explain the source of the money discovered in his Indian bank account in the Russian city. ATS has asked Moscow to authenticate the details of his bank accounts there, reported TOI.

The ATS had earlier said that Siwal was providing important confidential information regarding the strategic activities of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian military establishments for money.

The Ministry of External Affairs had said it was aware of Siwal’s arrest and working with the investigative authorities in this case.

Meanwhile, Siwal’s family members have left home in their native village in Hapur, and moved to some other place, police said.

With inputs from PTI