Ex-BrahMos engineer sentenced to life for espionage
Alongside the life sentence, he was handed a 14-year severe imprisonment and fined ₹3,000 under the Official Secrets Act and the IT Act, underlining the severity of his betrayal of national security.
In a substantial ruling, the Nagpur district court has sentenced Nishant Agarwal, a former senior systems engineer at BrahMos engineer, to life in prison for espionage.
Agarwal was found guilty of passing sensitive technical information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and arrested in 2018 in a coordinated effort by military intelligence and the anti-terrorism squads of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Alongside the life sentence, he was handed a 14-year severe imprisonment and fined ₹3,000 under the Official Secrets Act and the IT Act, underlining the severity of his betrayal of national security. Special Public Prosecutor Jyoti Vajani said, “The court sentenced Agarwal to life imprisonment and RI for 14 years under the Official Secrets Act and fined him ₹3,000.”
Agarwal’s arrest followed a thorough investigation that exposed his involvement in leaking sensitive technical information related to BrahMos Aerospace to Pakistan’s ISI. BrahMos Aerospace is a prestigious joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s military-industrial corporation NPO Mashinostroyenia, focusing on advanced missile technology.
During his four-year tenure at BrahMos, Agarwal held a critical position that provided him access to highly classified information. His role in the technical research division made the breach particularly severe, as the data compromised was significant to national security.
Agarwal faced charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the stringent Official Secrets Act (OSA). The prosecution argued that his actions posed a grave threat to national security, given the sensitive nature of the leaked information. The court convicted him under Section 235 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which deals with the judge’s power to convict, and under Section 66 (f) of the Information Technology Act, dealing with cyber offenses related to national security.
In 2018, intelligence agencies had flagged suspicions about certain individuals in strategic sectors. A joint operation led by military intelligence and the ATS concluded with Agarwal’s arrest, revealing the depth of his espionage activities. Investigations confirmed that he had leaked classified information to ISI operatives, significantly compromising India’s defense capabilities.
Despite the compelling evidence against him, Agarwal was granted bail by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court in April of the previous year. However, the subsequent court proceedings led to the life sentence delivered by the Nagpur district court, reflecting the serious nature of his offenses.
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