Meet DRDO scientist ‘honey trapped’ by PIO

Pune: Until six months ago, there was nothing that was extraordinary, other than his talents, about Pradeep Kurulkar. The Defence Research Development Organisation, where he worked as director, describes him as “outstanding”, his acquaintances say the 59-year-old is a regular family man while a senior leader of the RSS, which Kurulkar has been associated with since age 5, says he was always “dutiful”.

But about six months ago, the vigilance team at the DRDO in Pune where Kurulkar played a key role in the design, development and production of Akash launchers and mission-critical ground systems defence projects, started tracking his movements and communication. They suspected their star scientist was in touch with a Pakistani Intelligence Operative in what they told the Maharashtra ATS seemed like a case of “honey trap”.

After the DRDO complaint, a team of Maharashtra ATS began tracking Kurulkar and found that he was in touch with a female Pakistani Intelligence Operative through audio and video messages over Whatsapp. ATS also claim the scientist has allegedly shared sensitive security and defence related information with her. The agency believes that Kurulkar first came in contact with the female PIO in September 2022 and continued to remain in touch with her for six months before blocking her number.

At the time of his arrest on May 3, Kurulkar was officiating as head of Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) [R&DE(E)], a premier Systems Engineering Laboratory of DRDO based at Dighi near Pune. His area of specialization, according to DRDO’s website, is design and development of missile launchers, military engineering equipment, advanced robotics and mobile unmanned systems for military applications.

On Tuesday, Kurulkar who is six months short of retirement, was produced before the additional sessions judge (Special Court) in Pune and remanded to further custody until May 15th. While his lawyer protested his client’s innocence, the ATS said they needed time to examine the forensic evidence, including a pen drive seized at the time of Kurulkar’s arrest. According to ATS, the scientist blocked the Pakistani Intelligence Officer after initial communication with her but then she got in touch with him again using another number. He was also in touch with the PIO on Gmail and the IP address of the recipient has been traced to Pakistan. “A message from the PIO asking him why he had blocked her was recorded on the mobile phone which has been seized by ATS,” the officer told the court. In her submission,

inspector Sujata Tanawade said that in the course of his work, Kurulkar met a number of women at the DRDO guest house and they believe that one of them was possibly the PIO. The ATS is also investigating all his foreign travel in the last few years. “His bank accounts are also to be checked whether he received any money that he can’t explain,” she said. Before his arrest, Kurulkar deleted data from his mobile phone, laptop and pen drive. The ATS said they needed to ascertain what that data was and whether it had been shared with others.

What has left his acquaintances stunned is that until not long ago, Kurulkar was flexing his nationalist credentials and his association with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on social media. In a YouTube interview he speaks at length about the influence of the RSS on his life and how his family, from the time of his grandfather, has been a part of the Sangh. The shakha, he tells the interviewer is an integral part of his daily life. Kurulkar who is married to a doctor, stays is the Peth area which is the Old City. He hails from a family of mathematicians and joined the DRDO in 1988 after completing his Bachelor’s degree (BE) in Electrical Engineering from COEP Pune with a first class with distinction. A senior RSS leader in the city told HT, on the condition that he not be quoted, that they had been left stunned by the circumstances of Kurulkar’s arrest. “His story exhibits patriotism and betrayal,” he said. Kurulkar was often touted by the RSS in Pune as one of the stars, and his arrest has now snowballed into political controversy with NCP holding protests against him and the RSS.

“The RSS teaches to love the country, how to be good citizens but what about their own swayamsevak who is holding a key post and providing sensitive defence information to Pakistan?” demanded Pune City President Prashant Jagtap.

Kurulkar has been booked under the relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act. The DRDO has so far refused to comment on his arrest.

BOX

In the course of his career, Pradeep Kurulkar won several honours including the Science Day award for best publication in 2000, the DRDO Agni Award for Excellence in Self-Reliance in 2002, the DRDO Award for Path-breaking Research/ Outstanding technology development in 2008 for AKASH and the DRDO Award for Performance Excellence for MRSAM in 2016 and the Award for Excellence of Technology by DEMA in 2016. He is also a fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India), Life Member of Indian National Society for Aerospace and Related Mechanisms (INSARM), Member of Fluid Power Society of India (FPSI), and Robotics Society of India.