Besides giving him money, “Damini McNaught” promised to meet him

Former Air Force technician Ranjith K.K., arrested for allegedly supplying security information across the border, had no clue that he was doing so for Pakistan and thought he was helping a British journalist generate content, said the police.

“During his interrogation, he has revealed he was clueless about those behind the telephonic voice that beguiled him to the extent that Ranjith found out and shared every bit of information sought from him,” said a police source.

In exchange, he received not only money but also a promise that the “woman” on the other end, who identified herself as Damini McNaught, would come to India and meet him, the police added.

Damini McNaught was the chosen profile name by the user behind the account. Ranjith, who is married and has a child, could not help being drawn towards the woman’s voice. The engagement soon went from business to personal. Despite repeated requests by Ranjith to talk to the woman on video chat, Damini would use one pretext or another to turn him down.

“The person who we suspect was always and is currently in Pakistan would dodge his incessant pleas saying she looked exactly like her Facebook profile picture. Then there were times she said she was going offline or that her boss was summoning her,” said the source.

As for the information he purportedly leaked, the Delhi Police said unlike information about ground troops like the Army or the paramilitary guarding the border, those privy to information about Air Force cannot launch any immediate action.

They added that such information may provide crucial in the long term. Ranjith allegedly told her about deployment and movement of IAF personnel from not just his base station, but also Jaisalmer and Gwalior, besides information on air markings.

Police custody

A Delhi court on Tuesday sent the officer to four days’ police custody.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has charged the resident of Malappuram district in Kerala with allegedly passing on secret information to suspected operatives of Pakistan intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Metropolitan Magistrate Punit Pahwa sent Ranjith to police custody, allowing a submission by the Delhi Police that he was required to be taken outside the Capital — to Jaisalmer and Gwalior. However, the court remanded him to four days’ police custody.

The police have slapped charges under the Official Secrets Act against him.