On Monday, a court in Nagpur sentenced former BrahMos engineer Nishant Agarwal to life imprisonment for espionage on behalf of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. He was found guilty under sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and fined ₹3,000. Nishant Agarwal, a senior system engineer with BrahMos Aerospace, was arrested in 2018 for leaking sensitive information to Pakistan.
“The court sentenced Agarwal to life imprisonment and rigorous imprisonment for 14 years under the Official Secrets Act and fined him ₹3,000,” stated Special Public Prosecutor Jyoti Vajani.
The verdict was delivered by Additional Sessions Court judge MV Deshpande, who stated that Agarwal was convicted under section 235 of the Criminal Procedure Code for an offense punishable under section 66 (f) of the IT Act and various sections of the Official Secrets Act.
BrahMos Aerospace, a significant player in India’s defense sector in collaboration with a Russian company, is crucial in developing India’s supersonic cruise missile capable of launching from land, air, and sea.
Agarwal shared sensitive information about the supersonic missile technology with Pakistan-based ISI handlers via Facebook. The communication was conducted through accounts named Neha Sharma and Pooja Ranjan, according to investigative agencies.
The agencies reported that Agarwal became an easy target online due to his casual and reckless approach. He was influenced by Pakistan-based handlers to share sensitive information about the BrahMos missile.
Agarwal’s actions were particularly shocking to his colleagues, who considered him a hard-working and talented employee with a promising future. He had been recognized with the Young Scientist Award by India’s premier defense research agency, the Defence Research and Development Organisation, for his significant contributions to various technologies.
There has been an increase in cases where Pakistan’s intelligence agency targets Indian officials and security personnel on social media to extract sensitive information about India’s defense programs.
