Jahanvi Agarwal
In a significant verdict, the Nagpur district court has sentenced former BrahMos Aerospace engineer Nishant Agarwal to life imprisonment for espionage activities linked to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Agarwal, who was arrested in 2018, was found guilty under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and various sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
“The court sentenced Agarwal to life imprisonment and RI for 14 years under the Official Secrets Act and fined him Rs 3,000,” said Special Public Prosecutor Jyoti Vajani, detailing the judgment delivered by Additional Sessions Court Judge MV Deshpande. Agarwal’s conviction came under section 235 of the Criminal Procedure Code for offences punishable under Section 66 (f) of the IT Act and multiple sections of the OSA.
Agarwal, who had been employed in the technical research division at BrahMos Aerospace’s Missile Center in Nagpur, was apprehended during a joint operation by the military intelligence and Anti-Terrorism Squads (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. His tenure at BrahMos Aerospace lasted four years, during which he was accused of leaking sensitive technical data to Pakistan’s ISI.
BrahMos Aerospace, a collaboration between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, became the focal point of the investigation due to Agarwal’s access to classified information. “The nature of the information compromised could have severely impacted national security,” remarked an anonymous source from the investigation team.
In an unexpected twist last April, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had granted Agarwal bail. Despite this temporary relief, the current ruling underscores the severe consequences of compromising national security.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the vigilance required in protecting sensitive information, especially within critical defence establishments.