Former BrahMos Engineer Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Spying for Pakistan’s ISI

Nishant Agarwal, a former engineer at BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Nagpur district court. The court found him guilty under the Official Secrets Act for spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI.

In addition to life imprisonment, Agarwal received 14 years of rigorous imprisonment and was fined Rs 3,000.

The sentence was delivered by Additional Sessions Court Judge MV Deshpande, who stated that Agarwal was found guilty under section 235 of the Criminal Procedure Code. This included offenses punishable under section 66(f) of the IT Act and various sections of the Official Secrets Act. Special Public Prosecutor Jyoti Vajani confirmed the details of the sentencing.

Agarwal had been working in the technical research section at the missile center of BrahMos Aerospace in Nagpur. His arrest came in 2018 during a joint operation by the military intelligence and the Anti-terrorism squads of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The former engineer was charged under the Indian Penal Code and the stringent Official Secrets Act for leaking sensitive technical information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Agarwal had been employed at BrahMos for four years prior to his arrest.

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BrahMos Aerospace is a collaborative venture between Bharat’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Russian military Industrial Consortium (NPO Mashinostroyenia). The company is known for developing the BrahMos missile, a key asset in India’s defense arsenal.

Despite the severity of the charges, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court granted bail to Agarwal last April. However, with the latest court ruling, Agarwal will now serve life imprisonment for his actions.

This case underscores the serious consequences of compromising national security and leaking classified information.