Cobbler at Bathinda military stn investigated over ‘suspicious’ WhatsApp chats

Bathinda: A cobbler working at Bathinda Military Station for over seven years was handed over to Bathinda police over suspected espionage links. Sunil Kumar, from Bathinda, is accused of engaging in a WhatsApp chat with a woman, who allegedly sought to extract logistical details of the military station.It is yet to be determined whether this was a case of a honeytrap, or if the woman was working for a spy agency.Bathinda police recovered the mobile phone used for the chat, which has been sent for forensic analysis. They have also retrieved the chat extract with the mystery woman from 2023, along with some visuals.Bathinda SP (Investigation) Narinder Singh stated that Army authorities approached the police on Monday and handed over Sunil Kumar, requesting an investigation. The investigations are only in the preliminary stage, and the police cannot yet conclude any spying angle. Prima facie, it appears that he came into contact with a woman in 2023 and engaged in chat, though he does not seem to have shared sensitive information.Upon reviewing the chat, the police have not found any sensitive information. However, a case has been registered against Sunil Kumar at Cantt Police Station, and further investigations are underway.Meanwhile, the police are also investigating a call received by the son of a soldier at Bathinda Military Station. They are examining the details of the call to determine if it was related to spying, said the SP. He stated that these two incidents are entirely separate and unrelated.MSID: 120725846 413 |