Former BrahMos Aerospace engineer gets life term for spying for ISI

Nishant Agarwal, a former senior system engineer at BrahMos Aerospace, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Nagpur court for espionage on Monday. The case, which unfolded in 2018, shocked the nation as it revealed the infiltration of Pakistan's ISI into one of India's prestigious defense institutions.

Agarwal's arrest in 2018 sent shockwaves through Brahmos Aerospace and the defense community at large. He was apprehended for allegedly leaking classified information regarding the Brahmos missile to Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI.

The investigation uncovered Agarwal's ties to suspected Pakistani intelligence operatives operating under the guise of social media personas. Two accounts, identified as Neha Sharma and Pooja Ranjan, traced back to Islamabad and were believed to be conduits for espionage activities.

Authorities noted Agarwal's lax online behavior, which made him vulnerable to exploitation despite his involvement in critical defense projects. His casual approach to cybersecurity ultimately facilitated his illicit connections with foreign agents.

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