DRDO scientist 'compromised national security', shared missile secrets with Pak spy agent: Police
Kurulkar was taken into custody on May 3 on charges of espionage under the Official Secrets Act. He is currently in judicial custody. The chargesheet revealed that Kurulkar and 'Zara Dasgupta' maintained communication through various channels, including WhatsApp, as well as voice and video calls.
FollowPradeep Kurulkar, a scientist from DRDO, was drawn to an individual claiming to be a Pakistani Intelligence Operative using the name 'Zara Dasgupta'. Their conversations allegedly revolved around Indian missile systems and various classified defense projects, the chargesheet has said.
Last week, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police submitted a chargesheet in court against Pradeep Kurulkar, who held the position of director at a laboratory within the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) located in Pune.
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Kurulkar was taken into custody on May 3 on charges of espionage under the Official Secrets Act. He is currently in judicial custody. The chargesheet revealed that Kurulkar and 'Zara Dasgupta' maintained communication through various channels, including WhatsApp, as well as voice and video calls.
According to the chargesheet, 'Dasgupta', who purported to be a software engineer residing in the UK, initiated contact with Pradeep Kurulkar and gradually developed a friendship by sending explicit messages and videos. During the investigation, it was determined that her IP address could be traced back to Pakistan, as stated by the ATS.
The chargesheet also revealed that the Pakistani agent attempted to acquire classified and sensitive information concerning various military systems, including the Brahmos Launcher, Drone, UCV, Agni Missile Launcher, and Military Bridging System, among other subjects.
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"Kurulkar, who was attracted to her, stored the classified and sensitive information of DRDO on his personal phone and then allegedly shared it with Zara," the chargesheet said.
According to the chargesheet, Pradeep Kurulkar engaged in conversations with 'Zara' on various projects, including surface-to-air missiles (SAM), drones, Brahmos and Agni Missile Launchers, and UCV. The ATS stated that the two maintained contact between June 2022 and December 2022.
Shortly before the DRDO initiated an internal investigation into his suspicious activities, Kurulkar blocked Zara's number in February 2023. However, he soon received a WhatsApp message from an unfamiliar Indian number, questioning why he had blocked their contact. The chat records presented in the chargesheet also indicated that despite being aware that he was not authorized to share such information, Kurulkar disclosed his personal and official schedules and locations to her.
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