HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, Dec 13: A retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer was arrested in Tezpur on Friday on charges of allegedly passing sensitive national security information to Pakistani intelligence agencies, triggering widespread public outrage in the locality. The accused, Kulendra Sarma, a former Junior Warrant Officer who retired from the IAF in 2002, was apprehended following a secret operation carried out by Tezpur police based on confidential intelligence inputs. Sarma is a resident of Patiaachuburi under the Kachari Gaon police outpost.
Police sources said Sarma was detained during a discreet raid at his residence on Friday evening. Several electronic devices, including a mobile phone and a laptop, were seized during the operation. Forensic examination of the devices reportedly revealed objectionable material, leading to the registration of a case (Case No. 785/2025) under Sections 147, 148, 152, 238 and 62(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He was subsequently placed under arrest.
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Investigators allege that Sarma used WhatsApp to share sensitive defence-related information with individuals linked to Pakistani spy agencies. Authorities are now attempting to retrieve deleted messages and data from his devices to determine the full extent of the alleged security breach.
After retiring from the Air Force, Sarma worked as a Technical Officer in the Department of Electronics at Tezpur University and retired from the post around two years ago. He has been residing in the area for nearly a decade. Notably, his only son is currently serving in the Indian Air Force. Sarma was produced before a local court on Saturday, which granted police custody for five days for further interrogation.
Meanwhile, the arrest sparked protests in the neighbourhood, with residents demanding strict punishment and raising slogans condemning the accused.
