The recruitment of Indian nationals by Pakistani agents, who frequently pose as women on social media, has been a concerning trend in recent months, according to an ATS official.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Sahdevsinh Deepubha Gohil, a 28-year-old contractual multipurpose health worker from Kutch, on charges of espionage for a Pakistani intelligence officer. This marks the third such arrest in Gujarat for alleged spying within the last eight months.
Gohil, posted at Mata-na-Madh Primary Health Centre, is accused of transmitting sensitive photographs and videos of Border Security Force (BSF) and Indian Navy installations in the Kutch region to an operative known as "Aditi Bharadwaj." ATS officials stated that Gohil connected with Bharadwaj via WhatsApp in mid-2023, where she identified herself as a Pakistani intelligence agent. He allegedly acquired a new SIM card using his Aadhaar ID in early 2025, activated WhatsApp on it, and continued sending classified material through this channel. He reportedly received ₹40,000 in cash for the information.
Gohil was detained on May 1 following technical surveillance and human intelligence inputs, corroborated by central agencies, and has since been formally arrested. Both Gohil and Bharadwaj face charges under Sections 61 (criminal conspiracy) and 148 (waging or abetting war against the government) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities are working to recover deleted data from Gohil's phone for further analysis.
ATS officials noted a concerning trend where Pakistani operatives, often posing as women on social media, recruit Indian nationals by exploiting vulnerabilities or offering financial incentives. This arrest follows two similar cases in Gujarat: Dipesh Batuk Gohel, arrested in November 2024 for allegedly sharing Indian Coast Guard vessel details with a Facebook contact named "Sahima," and Pankaj Kotiya, arrested in October 2024 for relaying sensitive information on Coast Guard ship movements to a Pakistan-based woman named "Riya." Both previous arrestees also reportedly received payments for the information.
