Mumbai, July 9: In the latest development of the DRDO Espionage Case, the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) has filed a chargesheet in which the ATS said that the accused scientist shared sensitive details with the woman, a Pakistan-based intelligence operative. The ATS said that DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar allegedly shared details about India’s missile, drone and robotics programmes with the Pakistani woman.

Dr Pradeep Kurulkar, a Pune-based DRDO scientist was arrested on May 30 on charges of espionage charges after he was honey-trapped by the Pakistan Intelligence Officer. The ATS submitted its chargesheet to the special court on June 30, reports the Hindustan Times. In its chargesheet, the ATS has claimed to have unearthed "explosive" chats that were exchanged between Kurulkar and the Pakistani operative. Pakistan Intelligence Officer in Touch with Scientist Dr Pradeep Kurulkar Had Also Contacted IAF Corporal, Says Maharashtra ATS on DRDO Espionage Case.

ATS Reveals Details of 'Explosive' Chats

The DRDO scientist was the director, of research and development at DRDO when he reportedly shared confidential information with the Pakistani woman. The ATS claimed that the accused shared the information "in order to establish intimate relations with her". Furthermore, the chargesheet also revealed that the Pakistani agent reportedly created multiple fake accounts under different aliases in order to engage with the accused scientist.

Two of the names used by the Pakistani operative were Zara Dasgupta and Juhi Arora. The ATS chargesheet said that the DRDO scientists spoke openly about the Meteor missile which is in the works at DRDO, Brahmos missiles, Rafael, Akash and Astra missile systems among others while chatting with the alleged Zara Dasgupta. The ATS has also attached screenshots of the chats.

DRDO Scientist Called Pakistani Agent Called 'Babe'

As per the chats, accused Kurulkar and the Pakistani operative would talk about the serious conversations on the defence issues with a playful "Babe". The chargesheet also mentions mentioned the information that the so-called Zara Dasgupta sought from Kurulkar. The ATS has also attached the DRDO scientist's response to her questions in a sealed envelope and submitted it to court. DRDO Espionage Case: Scientist Dr Pradeep Kurulkar Arrested for Providing Secret Information to Pakistan Agent Sent in Judicial Custody Till May 29.

The 1,837-page charge sheet by the ATS also stated that Kurulkar would like to brag about his work all the time. In one of the chats, when the Pakistani operative asked him about the success of the Agni-6 launcher test, he said, "The launcher is my design babe… It was a great success." The charge sheet also revealed that Kurulkar addressed the Pakistani operative as "Babe".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 09, 2023 11:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).