According to the investigation conducted by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) into the DRDO espionage case, it has come to light that scientist Pradeep Kurulkar expressed his intention to show a “highly classified” report on the BrahMos missile project to a female Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) using the name “Zara Dasgupta” during a personal meeting.
Pradeep Kurulkar, aged 59 and the head of DRDO’s Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) or R&D (E) laboratory, was arrested on May 3 by the ATS. He was detained under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) pertaining to charges of spying and engaging in wrongful communication with the female PIO in a suspected honey trap case.
As per the ATS’s findings, the wanted accused, known as the PIO, initiated contact with Kurulkar on WhatsApp, posing as a UK-based software engineer named Zara. Using explicit messages, voice, and video calls, she lured Kurulkar into engaging in multiple conversations with her from June 10, 2022, to February 24, 2023.
ATS alleges that Zara’s motive was to extract confidential information from Kurulkar regarding various DRDO and defence projects in India. Kurulkar, seemingly attracted to her, is accused of misusing his position to share this sensitive information.
During their investigation, ATS obtained the WhatsApp chats between Kurulkar and Zara, which form a substantial part of the chargesheet comprising six volumes and a staggering 1,837 pages. This chargesheet has been filed before a special court in Pune, detailing the evidence against the accused parties.
According to the details mentioned in the chargesheet, Kurulkar and Zara engaged in discussions about the BrahMos missile project from October 19, 2022, to October 28, 2022. During their exchange, Zara inquired if Kurulkar was involved in inventing the BrahMos, referring to it as the “dangerous one.”
In response, Kurulkar revealed that he possessed an initial design report comprising around 186 A4 size pages covering all versions of the BrahMos missile. However, he expressed reluctance to share the report via WhatsApp or email due to its highly classified nature. Instead, he proposed to trace and keep it ready for presentation when they met in person, suggesting a willingness to show it to her during their personal meeting.
As highlighted in the chargesheet, the ATS specifically referenced a chat dated October 28, 2022, wherein Kurulkar acknowledged the highly confidential nature of the information. Despite being fully aware that such sensitive details should not be shared over WhatsApp and email, Kurulkar informed Zara that he would present the information to her during their in-person meeting.
As per the information presented in the chargesheet, the WhatsApp conversations between Kurulkar and Zara extended beyond the BrahMos missile project. They also discussed various other sensitive topics related to DRDO. These included the Agni 6 missile, Rustom (a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle), Surface to Air Missiles (SAM), Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV), and Drone projects.
Furthermore, their discussions covered additional subjects such as the Quadcopter, DRDO duty chart, Meteor missile, Rafael, Akash, and Astra missile. Notably, the chargesheet also mentions references to a private Indian defence company executive who is a DRDO vendor and specializes in developing “robotic equipment” for the Indian armed forces.
In addition to the WhatsApp chats, the ATS has submitted “confidential” documents related to the investigation in a sealed envelope to the court. During a recent hearing, Pradeep Kurulkar’s lawyer, Rishikesh Ganu, filed an application requesting copies of these “confidential” documents to prepare the defence.
Furthermore, the chargesheet reveals that Kurulkar added Zara to a “WhatsApp broadcast group” called “Happy Morning.” In the course of their conversations, it is alleged that he shared the names of two DRDO scientists with her. As part of the investigation, the ATS has also taken statements from these two scientists.
The charge sheet contains WhatsApp chats related to the “Quadcopter” topic. Zara watched a video and informed Kurulkar that she tried to spot him in the footage, but it mainly featured navy personnel and foreigners. In response, Kurulkar clarified that he was behind the quadcopter during the video, and it was captured from the flying direction.
During the same conversation, Zara expressed that it was the first time she saw someone sitting in a quadcopter and inquired about its potential dangers. Kurulkar assured her that they conduct extensive testing before deploying it in the field and mentioned that the project was currently in the testing phase.
In another chat, Kurulkar discussed the “Agni 6 missing launcher” and claimed that he designed it, and it had been a significant success. When Zara asked about the testing schedule for Agni 6, Kurulkar replied that it would be tested during the Night Fire and asked her to be patient. Additionally, the chargesheet reveals that Kurulkar shared details about several agreements between India and other countries in separate conversations with Zara.
Pradeep Kurulkar, a 59-year-old scientist employed at a defence research and development organisation laboratory in Pune, was arrested on allegations of spying and providing security-sensitive material to a purported female Pakistani intelligence operative. He is charged with violations of the Official Secrets Act (of 1923) sections 3 (spying) and 5 (wrongful transmission of information).
Honey trapping is a strategy in espionage where an agent cultivates a relationship with a civilian in order to exploit their trust or gain access to confidential information.