Gujarat man arrested for leaking BSF, Navy info to Pakistani agent via WhatsApp

A28-year-old contractual wellness worker, Sahdevhsinh Gohil was arrested on sabbatum for allegedly share-out classified info related to to the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) with a Pakistani woman agent via WhatsApp.According to Gujarat’s anti-terrorism squad (ATS), sub-inspector R.R. Garchar received intelligence report on April 29, a week after the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 25 tourists and one local pony guide. It said that Gohil --- a resident of Narayan Sarovar in Lakhpat taluka of Kutch and a contractual worker at the primary health centre (PHC) in the Mata No Madh area in Kutch district --- was leaking critical defence-related information to a foreign agent.Gohil allegedly shared photos and videos of BSF and Indian Navy facilities near his location with the Pakistani agent. “Gujarat ATS has arrested Sahdevsinh Gohil, a health worker from Kutch. We had information that he had been sharing information related to BSF and IAF with a Pakistani agent,” Gujarat ATS SP K Siddharth said, while addressing the media in Ahmedabad.During investigation, Gohil admitted to having been in contact since July 2023 via WhatsApp with a Pakistani female agent who used the name Aditi Bharadwaj, the SP said, adding “Gohil said that, at the woman agent’s behest, he had been providing images and videos of BSF posts, Indian Navy offices, and ongoing construction activities near the sensitive India-Pakistan coastal border in Gujarat.”Investigations revealed that in January, Gohil procured a new SIM card under a different name and handed over the WhatsApp OTP to the agent, allowing her to operate a WhatsApp account linked to his number. He continued to transmit photos and videos of restricted defence locations to her through this number, an official said.His mobile phone was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), which confirmed the presence of WhatsApp chats with the Pakistani agent, call records, and multimedia files containing classified information. Forensic analysis retrieved incriminating evidence, including photos of military offices and construction activities near sensitive defence zones, the official said.“The WhatsApp numbers under Aditi Bharadwaj’s name were being operated from Pakistan. We have registered a case against Gohil and Pakistani agent Aditi Bharadwaj under sections 61 and 148 of BNS,” SP Siddharth said..Officials revealed that Gohil was engaged in contractual espionage for Pakistan, with information indicating he received payments as high as ₹40,000 for a single instance of passing classified data.“Based on the evidence gathered, including digital forensic analysis and Gohil’s own confession, ATS Gujarat has registered a formal complaint against him and the Pakistani woman agent for illegally acquiring and sharing classified national security information related to BSF and Indian Navy,” a statement issued by Gujarat ATS read.After consulting with central agencies and verifying the report, a special team comprising inspector P.B. Desai, sub-inspector (Wireless) DV Rathod, and police sub-inspector R.R. Garchar, under the guidance of deputy superintendent of police Siddharth Chorolonda and deputy superintendent of police Niraj Upadhyay, was formed and Gohil was taken into custody for questioning on May 1, at the ATS headquarters in Ahmedabad.