Former BrahMos Engineer Nishant Agarwal Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Spying for Pakistan

Nishant Agarwal, a former engineer at BrahMos Aerospace, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for espionage activities on behalf of Pakistan's ISI, under the Official Secrets Act.

Nishant Agarwal, a former engineer with BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Nagpur district court for spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. In addition to the life sentence, Agarwal will serve 14 years of rigorous imprisonment and has been fined ₹3,000. This verdict was delivered by Additional Sessions Court Judge MV Deshpande.

Agarwal was convicted under section 235 of the Criminal Procedure Code for offenses punishable under section 66(f) of the IT Act and various sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA). The prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Jyoti Vajani, presented evidence that Agarwal had leaked sensitive technical information from his position in the technical research section of BrahMos Aerospace’s missile center in Nagpur.

Agarwal's arrest in 2018 was the result of a coordinated operation by the military intelligence and Anti-terrorism squads (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. At the time of his arrest, Agarwal had been working at the BrahMos facility for four years. BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and Russia's military industrial consortium NPO Mashinostroyenia, is responsible for the development and production of the BrahMos missile, a key asset in India's defense capabilities.

The investigation revealed that Agarwal had been sharing classified information with the ISI, compromising national security. Despite being granted bail by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court in April last year, the recent court ruling has now led to his conviction and sentencing.

This case underscores the critical importance of stringent security measures within India's defense establishments and the severe consequences of breaching these protocols. The conviction of Nishant Agarwal serves as a stern warning to those who might consider engaging in espionage against the nation.