Gujarat ATS nabs health worker for leaking military secrets to Pakistan

In a chilling escalation of cross-border espionage, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 28-year-old multipurpose health worker from Kutch for allegedly spying for Pakistan’s intelligence services — marking the third such arrest from the state in just eight months.

The accused, Sahdevsinh Deepubha Gohil, was posted at the Mata-na-Madh Primary Health Centre, not far from sensitive military zones. According to ATS officials, he transmitted photographs and videos of Border Security Force (BSF) and Indian Navy installations — both under construction and newly completed — to a handler he knew only through WhatsApp as “Aditi Bharadwaj.” She later identified herself as an agent of Pakistani intelligence.

Recruited through deception

Investigators said Gohil’s involvement began in mid-2023, after he was contacted on WhatsApp by the alleged handler. By early 2025, he had allegedly procured a new SIM card using his Aadhaar credentials, activated it on a separate device, and handed it over to Bharadwaj for secure communications. In return for his services, he reportedly received ₹40,000 in cash via a local intermediary.

He was taken into custody on May 1, following weeks of surveillance involving both technical tracking and human intelligence, corroborated by central agencies. Authorities charged Gohil under Sections 61 (criminal conspiracy) and 148 (abetting war against the government) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, India’s reformed penal code.

The ATS also confirmed that significant portions of the digital evidence had been erased from his device. The phone has been forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for data recovery and deeper analysis.

A pattern of vulnerability and exploitation

“This is not an isolated incident,” an ATS officer warned. “In recent months, there’s a rising trend of Pakistani operatives, often posing as women online, targeting Indian nationals—especially those in sensitive positions. These actors exploit emotional vulnerabilities and financial stress.”

He added that the operatives appear to be working from a detailed database, carefully selecting individuals based on their access and susceptibility.