Malware installed in official computer at Pak woman’s behest: Poddar

Naik Subedar Patan Kumar Poddar of Andhra Sub-Area admits to receiving about Rs 1 lakh for the info provided

Naib Subedar Patan Kumar Poddar of Andhra Sub-Area, who was arrested by the city police on spying charge, confessed to investigators that he had installed Trojan malware in the official computer at Secunderabad railway station’s special counter for the military at the behest of a suspected Pakistan woman.

In his confessional statement submitted by Hyderabad Central Crime Station in a local court here, Poddar said the woman, Anushka Agarwal, sent the malware link through an email and asked him to install it in the official computer through Internet. “I did as per her instruction … she also asked for the photograph of missile unit and storage unit and their Formation Sign … but I couldn’t provide them,” he stated in his confession.

Info provided on unit movements

Poddar took a photo of official documents, about movements of units and emailed them to her. She initially asked telephone numbers of 50 MCOs and their movement across the country. Poddar stated that he gave this information in a piecemeal way – five to six numbers at a time. On furnishing the said information, he received Rs. 20,000 in his SBI savings account at Malda in West Bengal from her.

Ms. Anushka asked information about the movement of military units on the western border. “I gave information about movement of 90 field regiments and 10 medium regiments from Secunderabad to Jodhpur,” he said, according to the confessional statement.

He used to give her details like train demand and rolling stock whenever a unit moved from Secunderabad. As directed by her, he installed Trojan malware facilitating remote access of his official computer. He had purchased a pre-owned laptop for Rs. 15,000, which he later kept in safe custody of his friend Pradeep Kumar Posala of Hasmathpet, to chat with and send emails to the woman, in addition to browsing Internet.

Was offered trip to London

He passed on information of 12 units, including their brigade names and locations. The woman sent a list of 12 units on the border and asked him to ascertain if it was correct. “I gave the information over phone. She also offered me a trip to London in near future,” he admitted to his interrogators.

He chatted with her through Facebook messenger as instructed by the woman and created a new email ID and opened a new bank account. He shared the password of the new email ID so that she could access his emails. She used to send emails in English with Hindi words or meanings. The woman sent Rs. 74,000 in seven instalments to Poddar.

Correction

>>The report, “Malware installed in official computer at Pak woman’s behest: Poddar” (August 8, 2014, some editions), referred to the arrest of Naik Subedar Patan Kumar Poddar. He is Naib Subedar Patan Kumar Poddar.