A 43-year-old woman from Nagpur, identified as Sunita Jamgade, has been charged with espionage under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) after crossing the Line of Control (LoC) into Pakistan earlier this month and being returned by Pakistani authorities. Her arrest has triggered a high-level investigation into possible cross-border spying and serious national security implications.
Sunita was handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) by Pakistani officials at the Attari border on Saturday. The Amritsar rural police quickly registered a 'zero FIR' under the OSA late Sunday, initiating the legal process against her. She was handed over to the Kapil Nagar police in Nagpur on Monday night and will be brought back to the city within 48 hours for a detailed investigation.
The former nurse’s unusual journey began on May 14 when she abandoned her 15-year-old son in Hundermaan, a remote border village in Kargil district, and crossed into Pakistan-occupied territory through a mountainous route. Investigators believe she went to meet two Pakistani contacts, one identified as Zulfikar and the other a man referred to as a 'pastor', with whom she had been in regular communication on social media.
Security agencies, who now have access to her phone, are examining her chat history. Preliminary reports indicate that she may have shared private and potentially sensitive details with her contacts, raising suspicions that her interactions may have gone beyond personal relationships and into territory involving possible espionage.
What has puzzled authorities further is the delay by Pakistani authorities in returning her. Sunita was detained across the border for nine days before being dropped off at Attari, nearly 700 kilometres from the point where she initially crossed the LoC in Kargil. "Her movement into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir amid heightened tensions cannot be taken lightly. We are thoroughly examining whether she passed on any sensitive information," said a senior Punjab police officer.
This is not the first time Sunita has attempted to cross into Pakistan. In March, she was stopped at Attari and sent back due to apparent mental health concerns. However, this second attempt has led to formal charges under India's anti-espionage law.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar Rural, Maninder Singh, led the initial response and case registration. Nagpur’s Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police, Niketan Kadam, confirmed that a team from Kapil Nagar police station will now handle the investigation. "We are looking into all angles, including her motives, digital communications, and whether she was manipulated into such actions or knowingly acted as an informant," he said.
The incident has exposed significant security gaps, particularly how a civilian managed to cross the heavily monitored LoC unnoticed. Authorities are also exploring whether emotional entanglements could have been used to lure her into a broader espionage plot.
Back in Kargil, a missing person case had been registered when Sunita disappeared with her son. A similar case was also filed at Kapil Nagar police station in Nagpur. Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairperson from Kargil, Niyaz Ali, confirmed that the government has approved the safe return of Sunita’s son to Nagpur.
As security agencies piece together the timeline and motives, Sunita’s case highlights the fragile overlap between personal relationships and national security, especially in an era where digital connections can have far-reaching real-world consequences.