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?
Kurulkar: The launcher is my design, babe.
Dasgupta: How was the test, babe?
Kurulkar: A great success.
The charge-sheet says Kurulkar and Dasgupta discussed BrahMos, Agni, Astra and Akash missiles, unmanned aerial vehicle Rustom, combat drones, quadcopters and related projects. As director of the Research and Development Establishment (Engineers), he held a diplomatic passport and was part of many strategic projects for the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. He was also part of research into strategic projects such as missile launchers, military bridges and other mechanical systems.
Interestingly, Kurulkar had undergone training to avert honeytraps. Even though it was against the rules, he stored information on DRDO projects on his Android phone so that he could use it while chatting with Dasgupta. Video calls were apparently made through shady third-party apps.
Investigators suspect that Kurulkar and Dasgupta were in touch since April last year. Initial exchanges through emails and Instagram allegedly helped Dasgupta win his trust. The ATS wants Kurulkar to undergo polygraph, voice layer and psychoanalysis tests, but he has objected to it saying it would be a violation of his rights.
According to the charge-sheet, forensic analysis of Kurulkar’s cellphone revealed that he had extramarital relations with two women. One of the women is a DRDO vendor.
Kurulkar allegedly added Dasgupta in a WhatsApp group named ‘Happy Morning’. He once told her that a leopard had entered R&DE(E) premises at Dighi near Pune, and shared a duty chart with the names and contact details of two senior scientists—“Mr Bansode” and “Mr Ganguly”. On October 28, 2022, Dasgupta allegedly asked Kurulkar for more details of some missile system, but he said the information could not be shared on WhatsApp, and that he would pass it on when they met in person. He also regularly shared with Dasgupta all his work-related travel details.
The charge-sheet also says Kurulkar discussed confidential details about unmanned aerial vehicle Rustom, such as its test performance and availability. He allegedly sent her a few website links and answered her queries. He is also accused of divulging the test performance and capabilities of surface-to-air missiles and drones under development, and of sharing details about the CEO of a private company that was working with the DRDO on certain projects.
Investigators found a WhatsApp number saved as Juhi Arora, another suspected Pakistani intelligence operative, in Kurulkar’s cellphone. Both Dasgupta and Arora had the same IP address in Islamabad. After learning that Juhi Arora was the name of the honey-trapper who was in touch with Nikhil Shende, a junior commissioned officer of the Air Force in Bengaluru, investigators made Shende listen to Dasgupta’s voice. Apparently, Shende recognised it as the voice of Arora, helping them conclude that Kurulkar and Shende had interacted with the same person.
“The accused (Kurulkar) shared and discussed confidential and top secret information with her in order to develop intimate relations with her,” alleges the charge-sheet. “The woman was clearly using him in order to get classified information about Indian missile systems and other defence-related projects.”