The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) informed a Pune court on Tuesday that it is probing alleged “meetings in a guesthouse” of the Defence Research and Development Organisation between “some women” and Pradeep Kurulkar, the senior DRDO scientist who was arrested in the city last week on charges of espionage and wrongful communication with Pakistan operatives.
Producing Kurulkar (59) in the court of Additional Sessions Judge S R Navandar, the ATS submitted through prosecution lawyer Vijay Fargade that “records of the DRDO guest house are not available yet”. “Once the records are available, they need to be investigated in the presence of the accused,” ATS told the court, which later extended the scientist’s custody by seven days to May 15.
The ATS also said that it had recovered a mobile handset, and retrieved information which allegedly includes a message to Kurulkar from a “Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO)” using an Indian number and asking: “Why have you blocked me”.
The ATS also submitted in court that a forensic report of the electronic devices seized from the accused was received on Tuesday afternoon and needs to be investigated. Besides, the investigation officer in the case, Inspector Sujata Tanawade, made an oral submission in court that the ATS had received a report from Google that a “gmail” address being probed in the case belonged to a user from Pakistan.
Meanwhile, DRDO sources told The Indian Express that Kurulkar, who was due to retire in November, has been placed under suspension as per procedure. He headed the Pune-based Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) of DRDO before being shifted to another post days before his arrest. The scientist has worked on several strategically significant projects of the DRDO in the past, including the nuclear-capable Agni missile series in addition to several other missile systems.
Kurulkar was arrested by the ATS on May 3 on charges of allegedly sharing confidential information with a female “Pakistan Intelligence Operative”, in a suspected case of honey trap. The arrest followed a complaint filed by a senior officer of the Vigilance and Security Department of DRDO.
The ATS registered an FIR in the case at the Kalachowki police station in Mumbai, and booked Kurulkar under provisions of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) pertaining to spying and “wrongful communication”. Subsequently, the Pune court remanded him in custody till May 9.
In Tuesday’s remand hearing, the ATS submitted that the accused needs to be questioned about his bank statements, and that he had separate private and government passports. According to the ATS, its probe has revealed that the accused travelled to other countries on the government passport and that it needs to probe details of these visits. Kurulkar made an oral submission that he did not travel out of India on his private passport after 2019.
The ATS also said that it is investigating “some new names” that have cropped up during the probe into whether the accused was assisted by others in allegedly sharing confidential information with Pakistan operatives.
According to the ATS, the DRDO had first received information about the accused allegedly contacting Pakistan-based operatives. Subsequently, as per “procedure”, various electronic devices used by the accused, including cell phones, laptop and desktop hard discs, were seized by DRDO officials “on February 24, 2023” for forensic investigation.
Thereafter, the ATS submitted, a probe by DRDO’s “internal standing committee” and a forensic report revealed that the accused was allegedly in constant touch with a female Pakistani operative through “WhatsApp messages, voice and video calls” — and shared sensitive information with her.
On Tuesday, defence lawyer Rushikesh Ganu argued that extension of custody was not required. He pointed out that details submitted by the ATS show that Kurulkar had “blocked” the alleged Pakistani operative.
“The probe is on since February 24. The ATS seized devices from the accused on April 18. He has attended the ATS after receiving summons between April 19 and April 24. He is fully cooperating with the investigation. He is not having any control of the seized devices, the forensic reports, DRDO records and bank statements. He went abroad on a government passport, so details of his foreign visits are available with the government,” Ganu argued.
However, while extending Kurulkar’s remand, the court observed that new facts have come to light during the probe and examining the data deleted from the mobile cell phone of the accused is required.
Earlier, the Pune unit of the NCP, led by its chief Prashant Jagtap and spokesperson Pradeep Deshmukh, staged a protest near Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir against Kurulkar. The protesters demanded the death sentence for the scientist while accusing him of being an “agent of Pakistan”.