Jammu: The wife of a serving Indian Army officer, accused of using AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude to draft analytical reports on sensitive national security matters for Chinese intelligence operatives, has been charged in Jammu over alleged espionage activities, authorities revealed on Sunday.

The suspect, an educated native of Telangana who completed an IT internship at the United Nations in 2023, currently operates as an independent researcher. While she has not been formally taken into custody, she underwent interrogation following the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) and continues to assist investigating agencies, according to officials.

Investigators alleged that the woman was assigned to compile analytical papers covering sensitive defence, geopolitical, and security topics, focusing specifically on Line of Control (LoC) military dynamics in Jammu and Kashmir, key infrastructure development in Arunachal Pradesh, and drone deployment strategies.

Officials confirmed that the case was formally registered at Gandhi Nagar police station in Jammu on Friday under statutory provisions of the Official Secrets Act, pertaining to espionage and the illegal handling of protected official information, alongside Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) clauses covering criminal conspiracy and actions threatening national sovereignty.

A deputy superintendent of police has been designated to head the investigation.

Acting upon intelligence inputs, a combined force from central security agencies and police intercepted the woman at Jammu Tawi railway station on October 14 as she reportedly prepared to board a train bound for Pathankot. She was detained and escorted to an adjacent military facility for interrogation, officials stated.

Her mobile device was confiscated and dispatched for comprehensive forensic examination.

The accused married a serving Army officer in the ranks of Major in October 2023, following her completion of a Master of Advanced Studies in European and International Governance in Geneva in 2022. She previously obtained a master's degree in International Relations from a Bengaluru-based university in 2021.

She also completed an online internship with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) in New Delhi and authored multiple research pieces, officials noted.

Initial questioning revealed that she engaged with several foreign nationals during her UN internship, including a Chinese national with whom she allegedly sustained communication via WhatsApp.

Officials further claimed that throughout 2024, she communicated over social media platforms with a Malaysian national operating a consultancy who was allegedly acting on behalf of Chinese intelligence services.

During questioning, the accused maintained that her submitted material relied exclusively on open-source information, augmented by AI platforms OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude.

Preliminary forensic retrieval from her seized mobile phone revealed authored documents detailing sensitive topics, including the India-Italy defence conference at the Manekshaw Centre, the Indian Army Chief's official tour of the United States, the India-Russia defence agreement, the Kalai-II Hydroelectric and Kamala infrastructure ventures in Arunachal Pradesh, the Cold Start military doctrine, India-Seychelles bilateral ties, development initiatives in Assam, and broader India-China relations, officials said.

Investigators are evaluating whether the suspect conducted structured research and information sharing with suspected foreign handlers under the cover of freelance academic research, adding that thorough forensic analysis of her digital hardware and financial transactions remains in progress to determine the exact character of the transmitted documents.

PTI