After arrest of official, DRDO directs scientists to ensure cyber discipline

NEW DELHI: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has asked the country’s military scientists and other officials to ensure strict cyber discipline, steer clear of avoidable interactions on social media and not entertain calls from unknown numbers, including those from outside the country, to safeguard critical information related to India’s security in a new advisory, government officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

Also Read | DRDO scientist arrested in Pune on espionage charges

This follows the arrest of a senior DRDO official in Pune in early May on the charges of allegedly supplying confidential information to a female Pakistani agent in a suspected honey trap case. The advisory aims to prevent such incidents, the officials said, asking not to be named.

“Such advisories are issued from time to time to sensitise people from falling into traps. The latest one was prompted by the Pune case,” said one of the officials cited above.

A special court in Pune on May 16 remanded DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar in judicial custody till May 29. Kurulkar, a director at one of the DRDO labs in Pune, was arrested by the Maharashtra police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on May 3. DRDO has already sacked the 59-year-old scientist who was to retire in six months.

Also Read | Meet DRDO scientist ‘honey trapped’ by PIO

The DRDO is working on a raft of important projects related to air, land and naval systems.

Kurulkar was first produced before the special court on May 4. His custody was given to the ATS till May 9. It was again extended till May 15 and a one-day additional custody was also granted later. The court remanded him in judicial custody again till May 29.

There is zero tolerance for such cases as it involves national security, and the defence ministry has also taken a strict view, said a second official.

Also Read | Pakistan operative in touch with DRDO’s Kurulkar also contacted IAF official

“The cyber domain and social media have become the place for such kind of activities. There is a need for people holding sensitive positions to be extremely careful, and always be on the guard. These activities have severe security implications,” said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

The ATS earlier informed the court in Pune that it was conducting a cyber investigation into the social media accounts used by the Pakistani intelligence operative, Zara Dasgupta, and analysing call details of the number used by her.

Six months ago, the DRDO’s vigilance team in Pune, where Kurulkar played a key role in the design, development and production of Akash launchers and mission-critical ground systems, started tracking his movements and communication. It suspected the scientist was in touch with a Pakistani operative and later told the ATS that it seemed to be a honey trap case.

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

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