The probe by Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) espionage case has revealed that scientist Pradeep Kurulkar had expressed he would show a “highly classified” report on the BrahMos missile project to a female Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) — who identified herself as “Zara Dasgupta” — when she meets him personally.
Head of DRDO’s Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) or R&D (E) laboratory, Kurulkar, 59, was arrested on May 3 by the ATS under sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) pertaining to spying and wrongful communication with the female PIO in a suspected case of honey trap.
According to the ATS, the PIO — who is now a wanted accused in the case — contacted Kurulkar on WhatsApp, and told him she was a software engineer based in the UK; she lured him by sending several obscene messages, and making voice and video calls, and Kurulkar had multiple conversations with her between June 10, 2022, and February 24, 2023.
ATS has alleged Zara wanted to extract confidential information from Kurulkar about various DRDO and defence projects in India. He got “attracted” to her and allegedly misused his position to share confidential information.
During the investigation, ATS retrieved the WhatsApp chats between the two, which are attached with a chargesheet (comprising six volumes and 1,837 pages) and filed before a special court in Pune.
As per the chargesheet, the duo had chats about the BrahMos between October 19, 2022, and October 28, 2022. In this, when Zara asks if “Brahmos was also your invention babe…. The dangerous one…”, Kurulkar replies, “I have initial design report some 186 A4 size on all Brahmos versions.” And later Kurulkar allegedly told her, “I cannot send copy of that report to WA or mail it is highly classified… I will trace and keep it ready when you are here will try and show you here.”
ATS has specifically made mention of this chat dated October 28, 2022 in the chargesheet, claiming that despite being aware that the nature of information was highly confidential and cannot be shared over WhatsApp and email, Kurulkar told Zara her he would show it when she “meets him personally”.
As stated in the chargesheet, along with BrahMos, Kurulkar and Zara had WhatsApp chats on “Agni 6, Rustom (a medium altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle), Surface to Air Missiles (SAM), Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV), Drone projects” of DRDO. It also includes chats on “Quadcopter, DRDO duty chart, Meteor missile, Rafael, Akash and Astra missile” and refers to a private Indian defence company executive who is a DRDO vendor and makes “robotic equipment” for Indian forces.
ATS has also submitted “confidential” documents pertaining to the probe in this case to the court in a sealed envelope. During a recent hearing, Kurulkar’s lawyer Rhishikesh Ganu filed an application seeking copies of these “confidential” documents for preparing his defence.
The chargesheet mentions that Kurulkar had added Zara to a “WhatsApp broadcast group” named “Happy Morning”. It is alleged that he shared the names of two DRDO scientists while conversing with her. ATS has recorded statements of the two scientists too.
The chargesheet includes WhatsApp chats about “Quadcopter”, in which Zara actually sees a video and tells Kurulkar, “I tried to see you around in the last minute of this video… But just navy persons and foreigners I guess.” Kurulkar replies, “I was behind the copter and video was mainly taken in the direction of flying.”
In the same thread, Zara says, “First time I saw someone sitting in a quadcopter… But where can it be used… Dangerous nahi hey kia?” Kurulkar replies, “Nahi will talk later, we do extensive testing before actual use on field.” Kurulkar also tells Zara here that the project is “under testing”.
In chats about “Agni 6 missing launcher”, Kurulkar tells Zara that “the launcher is my design” and that it was a “great success”. Zara asks him when Agni 6 would be tested. To which, Kurulkar says, “Night Fire…. Karenge, thoda dhiraj rakho (will do, have some patience).” During other chats, which are part of the chargesheet, Kurulkar even went on to share some details of a few agreements between India and other countries.
ATS has alleged that Kurulkar shared some links with Zara, and replying to her questions he allegedly told her that the “Air force system missiles have been installed across all borders in India”, as stated in the chargesheet.
According to the ATS, the DRDO had received information about the accused illegally contacting a Pakistan-based operative. Subsequently, as per “procedure”, various electronic devices used by the accused, including cell phones, laptop and desktop hard discs, were seized by DRDO officials on February 24, 2023, for forensic investigation, it is learnt.
Then a probe by the DRDO’s internal standing committee and a forensic report revealed that Kurulkar was allegedly in constant touch with a female Pakistani operative through “WhatsApp messages, voice and video calls” and shared sensitive information with her, as stated by ATS.
Pradeep Kurulkar was arrested on May 3 
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