Nagpur: A 43-year-old woman from Sant Kabir Nagar, identified as Sunita Gatlewar, has been booked on suspicion of espionage after allegedly crossing the Line of Control (LoC) near Hunderman village in Kargil and entering Pakistan. The case has now been formally registered at Kapil Nagar Police Station in Nagpur, where Sunita is currently in police custody.
According to officials, Sunita was intercepted by Pakistani Rangers after she illegally crossed into Pakistan and was later repatriated to India during a flag meeting between Indian and Pakistani forces. The Border Security Force (BSF) subsequently handed her over to Amritsar police, who registered a Zero FIR at Gharinda Police Station in Amritsar Rural. The case was later transferred to Nagpur jurisdiction.
Sunita was brought back to Nagpur by a team from Kapil Nagar Police, including two women personnel, and was produced before a magistrate at midnight on Wednesday. The court granted police custody until June 2. She has since been interrogated by officials from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and local police.
During the investigation, police confiscated Sunita’s mobile phone, Aadhaar card, voter ID, and passport, which she allegedly carried into Pakistan. Digital analysis of her phone revealed ongoing communication with a Pakistani cleric, raising serious security concerns.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 5, Niketan Kadam confirmed the developments and said further investigation is underway to establish the motive behind her illegal border crossing.
In her initial statement, Sunita reportedly claimed she had traveled to Kargil with her 12-year-old son to show him snow. She alleged that she ran out of money during the trip and began looking for work, which ultimately led her to cross the LoC. Her son is currently under the care of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Kargil.
Security agencies are closely monitoring the case as further inquiry continues into Sunita’s activities and motives, especially in light of potential cross-border intelligence concerns
