Pune: ATS Submits Chargesheet Against DRDO Scientist Kurulkar In Espionage Case
Pune, 1st July 2023: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday submitted a comprehensive chargesheet against Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist Pradeep Kurulkar who was arrested in an espionage case allegedly linked to Pakistan Intelligence Operative (PIO).
The chargesheet, comprising over 1,000 pages accuses Kurulkar of sharing confidential defence and security related information with a Pakistani intelligence operative.
Kurulkar was arrested by the ATS team from Pune on May 3 and the deadline to file the chargesheet was July 2. The ATS investigation revealed that Kurulkar had been passing sensitive information to a Pakistani agent operating under the alias Zara Dasgupta.
Meanwhile, the ATS team has requested permission from the court to conduct “polygraph” and “voice layer and psychological analysis” tests on Kurulkar. However, Kurulkar has denied consent for these tests, arguing that the investigative agency already possesses his electronic devices and communication records.
Defence lawyer while opposing the plea said that the tests would violate Kurulkar’s fundamental rights under Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
The ATS previously informed the court that Kurulkar had served as scientist ‘H’ from December 13, 2022, to February 24, 2023. During this time, he allegedly misused his official position to provide sensitive defence information to the Pakistani Intelligence Operative. The investigation revealed that he had been in communication with the Pakistani intelligence operative via social media, WhatsApp, voice messages, and video calls.
The official website of DRDO lab R&DE describes Kurulkar as an exceptional scientist who served as the director of Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) R&DE(E), a leading systems engineering laboratory of DRDO. His contributions as project leader and system manager for Akash Ground Systems played a crucial role in the design, development, and production of Akash Launchers and mission-critical ground systems for the Indian defence sector.
