Gujarat ATS Nabs Health Worker in Espionage Sting Linked to Pakistan
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Amid flashing cameras and a crowded press room at the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) headquarters, SP K. Siddharth delivered a briefing that read like a chapter from a modern spy thriller. At the centre of the operation: the arrest of one Sahdev Singh Gohil, a seemingly unassuming multipurpose health worker from Kachchh district &mdash; now accused of compromising India&rsquo;s national security.
&ldquo;This individual was not just passing information; he was actively collaborating with a foreign agent,&rdquo; SP Siddharth informed reporters, his tone grave and deliberate.
The ATS began zeroing in on Gohil following intelligence inputs suggesting he had been leaking sensitive visuals and data linked to Indian defence installations &mdash; specifically those pertaining to the Border Security Force (BSF) and Indian Navy &mdash; to Pakistan.
The trail began to unravel on 1 May, when Gohil was summoned for preliminary questioning. Investigators soon learned that his contact with an individual identifying herself as &lsquo;Aditi Bharadwaj&rsquo; on WhatsApp in mid-2023 was no chance encounter. She turned out to be a Pakistani agent, a detail that emerged during a series of cautious interrogations.
What followed, according to ATS sources, was a chilling tale of subterfuge. Gohil allegedly provided the agent with photographs and videos of strategic BSF and Navy locations &mdash; including under-construction or recently completed sites &mdash; using his mobile device. These were shared via encrypted messaging applications, thus evading early detection.
In a further escalation, Gohil is believed to have procured a new SIM card using his Aadhaar credentials in early 2025. This SIM was activated specifically for Bharadwaj&rsquo;s use, with an OTP reportedly shared to enable her access. The phone number became the vessel through which images of critical BSF and even Indian Air Force infrastructure were transmitted &mdash; straight into enemy hands.
The betrayal didn&rsquo;t come free. Gohil reportedly accepted ₹40,000 in cash from an unknown individual, whom officers suspect to be linked to a wider espionage network operating across the border. The financial transaction, coupled with the digital trail, has formed the cornerstone of the case.
The ATS has seized Gohil&rsquo;s mobile phone and submitted it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for deep analysis. Preliminary findings confirm that the WhatsApp numbers associated with Bharadwaj were being operated from Pakistan.
Charges have been filed under Sections 61 and 148 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), with proceedings already underway against both Gohil and his foreign handler. Officials emphasised that this arrest forms a crucial link in a broader nationwide crackdown on espionage and anti-national networks with ties to Pakistan.
As the press conference wrapped, SP Siddharth reaffirmed the ATS&rsquo;s commitment to uprooting subversive elements from within the system. The message was unmistakable: betrayal, however covert, will not go unnoticed.
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May 24, 2025 | 15:42 IST