Group Captain Arun Marwaha, arrested for passing on critical defence information to two fake Facebook accounts set up by ISI, very well knew what he was doing, DNA has learnt. The senior Air Force officer was aware of the consequences of sharing classified information with the "two women", and was using "Hook" codes, forensic examination of the 51-year-old's phone has revealed.
These codes are used by hackers and cyber experts for covert exchange of information to bypass digital surveillance. Marwaha used them both for sex chats — nude pictures and videos — and for exchange of critical information, those interrogating him during his five-day police custody said.
This contradicts the officer's earlier stance. "I don't know why I did this. Never did it for money. It was a mistake," he had earlier told his interrogators. He is said to have shared information related to the Air Force's strategic locations, and documents on movements and operations.
As friendships became more intimate, exchanges shifted to WhatsApp from Facebook Messenger. "On WhatsApp, the user generates a code that is then shared with the receiver to start secret chats.
These codes allow the two to share information... chat history and documents shared get cleared from the server automatically once the duo logs out," a senior officer said.
Marwaha was arrested on Thursday by the Delhi police after being intercepted by central intelligence agencies about a fortnight ago. Commissioned in 1981, he was to retire next year. A case under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) has been registered.
He was a para-trainer with more than 2,000 jumps to his credit, and an accomplished instructor of elite commandos from the IAF's Garuda, the Navy's MARCOS to Special Forces of the India Army.
It is suspected that the information he passed on could also be linked to upcoming Air Force operations to the neighbouring country, possibly a planned surgical strike.
Marwaha has earlier been associated with Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), a DRDO wing. He completed his education at DAV College in Ambala and at Sainik School in Kapurthala.
How it works
On WhatsApp, the user generates a code that is then shared with the receiver to start secret chats
Chat history and documents shared get cleared from the server automatically once the duo logs out
