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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Traffic fraud: Fake 'no-entry' sticker racket busted in Delhi, mastermind among 3 held
New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
