Gujarat: Gujarat police have apprehended a man, identified as Pravin Mishra, in Bharuch district on charges of spying for the Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
According to the police, Mishra was honey-trapped by an ISI operative who posed as an IBM employee based in Chandigarh. The accused allegedly leaked crucial information related to drones manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Gujarat CID ADGP Rajkumar Pandian, in a press conference, revealed that the CID Crime team had been conducting surveillance in a factory in Ankaleshwar, near Bharuch. During this operation, they discovered Mishra’s involvement. Upon examining his phone, the police found evidence, leading to a case being filed against him under section 123 of the IPC, IT Act, and conspiracy offence. The ISI handler, who identified herself as Sonal Garg, allegedly manipulated Mishra into divulging India’s defence-related information.
The official further stated that several other individuals associated with defence establishments have been targeted by ISI operatives. He highlighted that Mishra, who previously worked in Hyderabad for an organisation collaborating with DRDO, had shared vital information. The ISI handler also attempted to install malware on Mishra’s office server. With Mishra now under arrest, further investigations are underway.