A man named Pravin Mishra has been arrested in Bharuch for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the police said on Thursday.
He is accused of gathering highly confidential information about the Indian armed forces and defence-related research and development (R&D) firms and passing it on to Pakistan. He has allegedly shared sensitive information related to Brahmos missiles.
Mishra is an aeronautical engineer employed with a Hyderabad firm specialising in manufacturing missile and drone components. In fact, his association with this firm raised suspicions.
Sources from the Gujarat Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said the CID started its probe following a tip-off from the Military Intelligence, Udhampur. CID officials confirmed that Mishra was relaying information to an intelligence agency based in Pakistan.
Lured by Pak operative?
Mishra is a resident of Ankleshwar in Bharuch district and native of Muzaffarpur in Bihar. He was in touch with a Pakistani intelligence operative through WhatsApp calls and audio chat “to carry out a criminal conspiracy against the country that could have serious security consequences,” the CID said in a release.
A case was registered against Mishra and the Pakistani operative who used an Indian WhatsApp number and the fake Facebook ID of `Sonal Garg’, CID sources added. It is alleged that Mishra was lured into divulging technical details about the missiles and drones after being honey-trapped by ‘Sonal Garg’, who claimed to be an Indian woman who worked for IBM, Chandigarh.
She obtained information form Mishra about drones manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The ISI operative also reportedly attempted to install malware on Mishra’s office server.
A case has been registered against Mishra, the Pakistani operative and any Indian officials who may have been involved in the conspiracy.
The Military Intelligence had alerted the CID about the present or retired employees of the Armed Forces, DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and employees associated with the R&D of missile system development being used to get confidential information, the CID said.
The case extends beyond Mishra, with officers and employees implicated in the criminal conspiracy. The CID Crime has initiated an investigation into the conspiracy to uncover additional perpetrators.
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