Guwahati: Assam Police have arrested a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer in Tezpur on suspicion of espionage and alleged links with a Pakistan-based intelligence network, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The accused, Kulendra Sarma, a former Junior Warrant Officer, was detained from the Patia area of Tezpur after weeks of surveillance and preliminary intelligence inputs. Sarma had served at the strategically vital Tezpur Air Force Station before retiring from service in 2002.
Police sources said the investigation suggests that Sarma was in contact with individuals believed to be connected to Pakistani intelligence operatives and may have shared sensitive information. During searches conducted following his arrest, investigators seized a mobile phone and a laptop containing suspicious data, though officials believe portions of the information may have been deleted.
Assam News – Retired IAF personnel Kulendra Sharma arrested for links with Pakistanis. pic.twitter.com/shwi0im1Ab
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Deputy Superintendent of Police Haricharan Bhumij of Sonitpur district said the allegations are being taken seriously, but stressed that conclusions regarding Pakistani links would be drawn only after a thorough investigation.
The Tezpur airbase is among the Indian Air Force’s key installations in the eastern sector and hosts critical assets, including a Sukhoi-30 fighter squadron.
After his retirement, Sarma is reported to have worked briefly at Tezpur University. Police have registered a case against him under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further interrogation is underway to determine the scale and impact of the suspected information leak.
