Nagpur woman who crossed LoC into Pakistan may face espionage charges
Nagpur: Sunita Bholeshwar Jamgade, a 43-year-old woman from Nagpur who crossed the Line of Control (LoC) near Kargil and entered Pakistani territory earlier this month, is likely to face espionage charges, according to official sources. Her return to India was facilitated through diplomatic channels, but law enforcement agencies have initiated legal proceedings under the Official Secrets Act amid suspicions of her contact with Pakistani nationals.
Jamgade had gone missing on May 14 from Hunderman village in Ladakh's Kargil district, situated near the LoC. She had reportedly left behind her 12-year-old son at a local hotel, triggering concerns among locals and prompting an extensive search operation. The child was later placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) before being reunited with family members in Nagpur.
Following her disappearance, Jamgade was apprehended by Pakistani authorities after crossing into their territory. She was handed over to Indian officials during a flag meeting at the Attari-Wagah border on May 23, after diplomatic coordination between the two sides.
According to reports, a zero FIR was initially registered by Amritsar Rural Police under the Official Secrets Act. The case was subsequently transferred to the Nagpur police for further investigation. Preliminary findings have indicated possible links with at least two individuals in Pakistan, raising suspicions that her movement may not have been accidental.
A four-member Nagpur police team, including two women constables, is currently escorting Jamgade back to the city from Amritsar. Gharinda Station House Officer Amandeep Singh confirmed the registration of the FIR and the handover procedure.
Meanwhile, Jamgade’s family members have claimed that she has a long-standing history of mental health issues. A trained nurse who later turned to garment sales, she had been under treatment for psychological disorders for several years. Her relatives reported signs of emotional instability and confusion in the days leading up to her disappearance, suggesting that her decision to cross the border may have stemmed from mental illness rather than any deliberate act of espionage.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a formal arrest once she is brought back to Nagpur. Further interrogation and psychiatric evaluation are expected to determine the nature of charges, if any, to be formally framed against her.
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MP cruise boat tragedy: Search ops expanded to trace four missing passengers
Jabalpur (PTI): Army divers and disaster response teams on Saturday expanded their search at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh to locate a man and three children still missing after the cruise boat tragedy that claimed nine lives two days ago, officials said.
With 28 of the 41 identified passengers onboard the ill-fated cruise boat rescued safely, police are preparing to register an FIR in connection with the accident that occurred at the reservoir in Jabalpur district on Thursday evening, they said.
The search radius has been expanded to 5 km in the backwaters of the Bargi Dam, located downstream of the Narmada River, area sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) Anjul Ayank Mishra told PTI.
Nine people drowned in the incident, while 28 were rescued, and efforts are ongoing to trace the missing persons, he said.
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According to the police, more than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, began the search operation at 5 am on Saturday to trace Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, his son Tamil (5), Vijay Soni (6) and Mayuram (5).
Mishra said that an inquest case has been registered and the post-mortem of nine deceased persons has been completed.
"Our priority is to search for the missing persons. We will soon register an FIR," he said.
Investigators have said that CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the ill-fated boat, and the names of 41 persons, who boarded the vessel, have been ascertained so far.
Collector Raghvendra Singh confirmed that a search is underway for four missing persons.
The rescue operation, being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers, was briefly affected around 9 am due to strong winds.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the incident and dismissed three crew members after survivors alleged negligence and safety lapses, including failure to provide life jackets.
The government also banned the operation of similar vessels in the state.
The boat, operated by the state tourism department, sank during a sudden storm around 6 pm on Thursday, and the wreckage was retrieved from the dam water on Friday, after the rescuers confirmed that there were no more bodies inside.
Eyewitnesses have said that strong winds made the water choppy, prompting passengers to raise an alarm and ask the crew to steer the vessel towards the riverbank.
A survivor alleged negligence by the crew and described a last-minute scramble for life jackets.
