A Pakistani army court on Monday sentenced alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav to death for “for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan.” Jadhav was “arrested” on March 3 last year by Pakistan security officials in Balochistan after he entered from Iran. He has been accused by Pakistan of planning “subversive activities” in the country.
Pakistan had released a “confessional video” of Jadhav a few months back where he had said that he was a serving officer of the Indian Navy. India, on the other hand, said Jadhav is a retired Navy officer who had no links with the Indian government.
Here is a transcript of Jadhav’s “confessional video”:
“I am Commander Kulbhushan Jadav number 41558Z. I’m a serving officer of the Indian Navy. I am from the cadre of engineering department in the Indian Navy and my cover name was Husasain Mubarik Patel which I had taken for doing some intelligence gathering for the Indian agencies.
I joined National Defence Academy in 1987 and I subsequently joined the Indian Navy in 1991 and was commissioned into the Indian Navy and subsequently served in the Indian Navy till around 2001 December when Parliament attacks occurred. That is when I started contributing my services towards the gathering of information and intelligence within India. I live in the city of Mumbai in India.
I’m still a serving officer in the Indian Navy and will be due for retirement by 2022 as a commissioned officer in the Indian Navy. After having completed 14 years of service by 2002, I commenced intelligence operations in 2003 and established a small business in Chabahar in Iran. As I was unable to achieve undetected existence and visits to Karachi in 2003 and 2004 and having done some basic assignments within India for RAW, I was picked up by RAW in 2013 end. Ever since I have been directing various activities in Baluchistan and Karachi at the behest of RAW and deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi. I was basically the man for Mr Anil Kumar Gupta who is the joint secretary RAW and his contacts in Pakistan especially in the Baloch student organisation.
My purpose was to hold meetings with Baloch insurgents and carry out activities with their collaboration. These activities have been of criminal nature. This have been of anti-national, terrorist leading into the killing of or maiming the Pakistani citizen also. I realise during this process that RAW is involved in some activities related to the Baloch liberation movement within Pakistan and the region around it. There are finances which are led into Baloch movement through various contacts or various ways and means into the Baloch liberation and the various activities of these Baloch liberation and the RAW handlers go towards activities which are criminal, which are anti-national which can lead to maiming or killing of people within Pakistan and mostly these activities were centred around what I have knowledge is of ports of Gawadar, Pasni, Jeevani and various other installations which are around the coast damaging to the various other installations which are in Balochistan. So the activity seemed to be revolving around trying to create a criminal sort of a mindset within the Baloch liberation and lead to instability within Pakistan.
In my pursuit towards achieving the set targets by my handler in RAW, I was trying to cross over into Pakistan from the Saravan border in Iran on 3rd March 2016 and was apprehended by the Pakistani authorities on the Pakistani side and the main aim of this crossing over into Pakistan was to hold meeting with the BSN personnel in Balochistan for carrying out various activities which they were supposed to undertake and carrying backwards the messages which they had to deliver, backwards to the Indian agencies. The main issues regarding this were that they were planning to conduct some operations within the next immediate future, near future. So that was to be discussed mainly and that was the main aim to coming into Pakistan.
So the moment I realised that my intelligence operations have been compromised on my being detained in Pakistan, I revealed that I’m an Indian Naval officer and it is on mentioning that I’m an Indian Naval officer the total perception of the establishment of Pakistan changed and they treated me very honourably and with utmost respect and due regards, and have handled me subsequently on a more professional and proper courteous way. And they have handled me in a way that befits that of an officer and once I realised that I have been compromised in my process of intelligence operations I decided to just end the mess I have landed myself in and just wanted to subsequently move on and cooperate with the authorities in removing the complications which I have landed myself and my family members into. And whatever I’m stating just now, it is the truth and is not under any duress or pressure. I’m doing it, it is totally out of my own desire to mention and come clean out of this entire process which I have gone through for the last 14 years.
