Shillong, July 8: According to the chargesheet filed by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police, DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar was attracted to a Pakistani Intelligence Operative who used the alias ‘Zara Dasgupta’.
The chargesheet reveals that Kurulkar engaged in conversations with ‘Zara Dasgupta’ about Indian missile systems and other classified defence projects. The ATS arrested Kurulkar on May 3 under the Official Secrets Act, and he is currently in judicial custody.
The chargesheet states that Kurulkar and ‘Zara Dasgupta’ communicated through WhatsApp, voice calls, and video calls. ‘Dasgupta’, who claimed to be a software engineer based in the UK, sent explicit messages and videos to befriend Kurulkar. During the investigation, it was discovered that her IP address was traced back to Pakistan.
The Pakistani agent attempted to acquire classified and sensitive information on various defence systems, including the Brahmos Launcher, Drone, UCV, Agni Missile Launcher, and Military Bridging System. The chargesheet alleges that Kurulkar stored the classified information on his personal phone and shared it with ‘Zara Dasgupta’ due to his attraction towards her. The conversations between them revolved around surface-to-air missiles (SAM), drones, Brahmos and Agni Missile Launchers, and UCV projects.
ATS revealed that Kurulkar and ‘Zara Dasgupta’ were in contact from June 2022 to December 2022. However, when the DRDO initiated an internal probe after suspecting his activities, Kurulkar blocked ‘Zara’s number in February 2023. Shortly afterward, he received a WhatsApp message from an unknown Indian number, questioning why he had blocked the previous number. The chargesheet also indicates that Kurulkar shared his personal and official schedules, as well as locations, with ‘Zara Dasgupta’ despite being aware that such information should not be shared.