The Gujarat Police Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) took a significant step on Thursday by apprehending a 53-year-old espionage agent from the town of Tarapur. This arrest was made possible thanks to specific information provided by the Military Intelligence (MI).Â
In July of the current year, the vigilant officers of Military Intelligence uncovered a covert campaign initiated by a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO). The accused individual in question, identified as Labhsankar Maheswari, employed a WhatsApp number to execute this scheme, which involved encouraging defense personnel to download and install a particular application on their Android devices. Notably, Maheswari had a particular focus on targeting personnel whose children were enrolled in various Army schools across the country.
To execute this ploy, the accused used the deceptive guise of an Army Public School official. He employed this false identity to send messages to his chosen targets, enticing them to upload pictures of their children alongside the national flag in order to participate in a competition, under the banner 'Har Ghar Tiranga'.
The MI investigators successfully tracked the location of the mobile number to the state of Gujarat and consequently sought the intervention of the ATS to apprehend Maheswari. Subsequently, it was ascertained that Maheswari had played a facilitating role by providing the Pakistani agency with contact numbers associated with Indian defense personnel.
A First Information Report (FIR) was promptly registered against the accused, incorporating various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that were applicable to the case.
Following his apprehension, investigations were immediately launched to uncover the extent of his involvement with the Pakistani intelligence agency. The ATS was expected to request police custody of the accused to assist in further inquiries.
During the course of interrogations, it was revealed that Maheswari, who originally hailed from Pakistan as a member of the Hindu community, had migrated to India in 1999 in the company of his wife. He initially resided at his in-laws' residence in Tarapur and subsequently applied for an extended Indian visa. In 2006, his application was approved, granting him Indian citizenship.
While on a visit to Pakistan to see his parents the preceding year, Maheswari came into contact with a Pakistani intelligence agency, marking a pivotal point in his life.
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