In a significant revelation at the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, defence lawyer Chaitanya Barve disclosed that Pakistani intelligence operatives attempted to establish contact with multiple officials of BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL). The proceedings, which took place on Monday during cross-examination, highlighted a sophisticated espionage attempt targeting India's premier defence contractor.
Meticulous Planning by Enemy Agents
Chaitanya Barve stated that the operatives created fake social media profiles under the names Neha Sharma and Pooja Ranjan, posing as Indian women. These profiles were found in the friend lists of BAPL officials on various platforms. The lawyer emphasized that this was a calculated part of the enemy's strategy to extract sensitive information from the defence establishment.
The case primarily involves former scientist Nishant Agarwal, but Barve's statement pointed to a broader target list. The implication is that the Pakistani agents were not focusing on a single individual but were attempting to infiltrate the organization by connecting with several employees.
No Critical Data Compromised, Say BrahMos Sources
Sources within BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited have provided crucial context to the Times of India. They confirmed that no classified data was lost in this espionage attempt. While Nishant Agarwal did have some work-related information on his personal device, the sources clarified it was not of significant value to foreign agents.
The reason cited is BrahMos's robust, multi-layered security architecture. A single employee does not have access to the complete data of any system, effectively compartmentalizing information. Furthermore, the sources noted that Agarwal's position in the company hierarchy was too junior for him to possess critical information that could substantially benefit an adversary.
Security Protocols and Internal Verification
Despite the assurances, the sources acknowledged that copying data from official systems is strictly against protocol. The organization's security systems are specifically designed to prevent such unauthorized duplication of information.
In the wake of the incident, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) conducted a thorough cross-verification with BAPL. The security agency sought confirmation on whether any documents involved in the case were part of secret or classified information. This internal audit reaffirmed that the integrity of critical defence data remained intact.
The revelations in the High Court underscore the persistent threat of cyber espionage faced by India's strategic sectors. While BrahMos's security measures appear to have prevented a major breach, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the sophisticated methods employed by hostile intelligence agencies to target defence personnel.
