A 64-year-old retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, Kulendra Sharma, has been arrested in Tezpur, Assam, on charges of espionage for Pakistan, police said on Saturday. Sharma, a former Junior Warrant Officer, was under surveillance for several months before his formal arrest late Friday night.
Sharma has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sedition (Section 152), rioting and conspiracy against India (Sections 147, 148), causing disappearance of evidence (Section 238), and criminal conspiracy (Section 61(2)), confirmed Sonitpur SSP Barun Purkayastha.
Police said that Sharma served at the Tezpur Air Force Station before retiring in 2002 and later worked in the Electronics Department of Tezpur University. Investigations revealed that he allegedly maintained contact with Pakistani intelligence-linked operatives and shared sensitive defence-related information. During searches, police seized Sharma’s laptop and mobile phone. DSP Haricharan Bhumij said analysis of these devices revealed evidence pointing to a strong possibility of espionage, though the identities of all recipients are still being verified.
Sharma will be produced before a local court as the investigation continues to determine the duration of his alleged contacts and the nature of information shared.
The arrest comes amid increased vigilance by Assam Police against espionage and foreign-linked networks, especially in sensitive border areas. In a separate but related investigation, Jyotika Kalita, a woman from Sonitpur, was arrested on December 5 for alleged links to Pakistani operatives, suspicious foreign financial transactions, and an undisclosed marriage to a Pakistani national in Dubai. Police said she and her associates, including her brother, transferred large sums of money through mule accounts, possibly linked to online fraud across countries such as Mauritius, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
Officials noted that while Sharma’s and Kalita’s cases are being investigated independently, they reflect a broader crackdown on suspected espionage networks and foreign-funded criminal operations in Assam.
