Scientist offered to show Brahmos report to Pak contact: Who is Pradeep Kurulkar and what are the allegations against him?

Who is Pradeep Kurulkar?

The 59-year-old scientist was Director of the DRDO’s Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) or R&DE wing, which handled several strategically sensitive projects, including the development of strategic assets, ranging from military bridges to ground systems and launchers of almost all the missiles in India’s arsenal. He was set to retire in November with the rank of Scientist H or ‘Outstanding Scientist’, which is the second highest rank within DRDO.

In May, after his arrest, The Indian Express spoke to his colleagues, who said the scientist was a “taskmaster who is good at resolving conflicts”, a “multifaceted scientist” and a “talkative boss who loves telling stories”.

Kurulkar graduated in Electrical Engineering from the College of Engineering Pune, in 1985, and worked with a private firm in Pune before he joined DRDO. He also has a deep interest in music and plays saxophone, flute, tabla and mridangam.

According to his colleagues, the scientist was a key member of teams that worked on several strategically significant projects like Anti Satellite Missile Test — Mission Shakti and the nuclear-capable series Agni, his biggest contribution, arguably, was to the successful development of the Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM), a key asset of the Indian Army’s and Air Force’s air defence capabilities. Kurulkar was Project Leader and Team Manager for Akash ground systems.

His DRDO profile, which was deleted soon after the arrest, said he also worked on other missile systems, including the medium-range SAM, Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile system, Prahar, quick reaction SAM and extra long-range SAM, among others.

Just days before his arrest, Kurulkar was transferred to the Armament Combat Engineering Cluster office in Pune as the DRDO’s vigilance wing carried out an internal probe. The scientist has been placed under suspension since the arrest.

What are the allegations against Pradeep Kurulkar?

According to the ATS, Kurulkar was contacted by Zara, the PIO, on WhatsApp and she told him that she is a software engineer based in the UK. She then 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 the scientist about various DRDO and defence projects in India. As he got “attracted” to her, he allegedly misused his position to share confidential information.

In its 1,837-page-long chargesheet, the police unit also alleged 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.”

Apart from 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, the chargesheet said. 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.

Moreover, Kurulkar shared with Zara the names of two DRDO scientists while conversing with her. ATS has recorded statements of the two scientists too. He also shared some links with her, and while replying to her questions he allegedly told her that the “Air force system missiles have been installed across all borders in India”, according to the charge sheet.

Kurulkar’s alleged relationship with Zara came into the limelight after the DRDO received information about him illegally contacting a Pakistan-based operative. Subsequently, as per “procedure”, various electronic devices used by Kurulkar, including cell phones, laptops and desktop hard discs, were seized by DRDO officials on February 24, 2023, for forensic investigation, ATS officials said.

Then an investigation 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, according to the ATS.