According to the chargesheet filed by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police, DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar engaged in a relationship with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative using the alias ‘Zara Dasgupta’. The chargesheet reveals that Kurulkar shared classified information about Indian missile systems and other defense projects during their conversations.
Kurulkar, the former director of a DRDO lab in Pune, was arrested on May 3 under the Official Secrets Act and is currently in judicial custody. The chargesheet states that Kurulkar and ‘Zara Dasgupta’ communicated through WhatsApp, as well as voice and video calls.
The investigation traced ‘Dasgupta’s’ IP address to Pakistan, confirming her identity as a Pakistani agent. The chargesheet highlights her attempts to obtain classified and sensitive information on various defense systems, including the Brahmos Launcher, Drone, UCV, Agni Missile Launcher, and Military Bridging System.
The chargesheet reveals that Kurulkar stored classified information on his personal phone and subsequently shared it with ‘Zara’. The two discussed a range of projects, including surface-to-air missiles (SAM), drones, Brahmos and Agni Missile Launchers, and UCV. Their contact spanned from June 2022 to December 2022, as per the ATS records.
When the suspicious nature of Kurulkar’s activities came to the attention of DRDO, an internal probe was initiated. Just before this, in February 2023, Kurulkar blocked ‘Zara’s’ number. However, he soon received a WhatsApp message from another unknown Indian number questioning why his number had been blocked.
The chargesheet also notes that Kurulkar shared his personal and official schedules, as well as his locations, with ‘Zara’, despite knowing that such information should not be shared with anyone. The evidence presented in the chargesheet paints a concerning picture of Kurulkar’s actions and the extent of information disclosed to the Pakistani agent.
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