WEB OF DECEIT

Charge-sheet against DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar reveals a grave security breach

- DNYANESH JATHAR

On May 3, the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad arrested Pradeep Kurulkar, a top scientist of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Kurulkar, 59, was accused of leaking sensitive information to a female Pakistani intelligence operative. He has since been in judicial custody in Pune, where he was the head of the DRDO's Research & Development Establishment (Engineers).

On July 1, the Anti-Terror Squad filed a charge-sheet that runs into six volumes and more than 1,800 pages. It contains details of the alleged WhatsApp communication between Kurulkar and the intelligence operative, who went by the name Zara Dasgupta. Apparently, Kurulkar even shared the contact information of two other senior DRDO scientists, so that Dasgupta could establish contact with them as well.

The charge-sheet, part of which was accessed by THE WEEK, says Kurulkar and Dasgupta discussed missile systems, drones and even duty charts of the DRDO. In the WhatsApp chats, the duo address each other as "babe" "The [missile] launcher is my design, babe," reads one message from Kurulkar during a chat about a DRDO missile system. He says the DRDO's Astra missile is more accurate and reliable than the Meteor missile made in Europe.

A sample, from a chat related to Agni 6:

Dasgupta: Your test was successful?