Overview
- The Bombay High Court, which ruled Wednesday, refused bail to retired DRDO scientist Pradeep Kurulkar in a case that alleges he shared secret defence data with a Pakistan-linked operative.
- Justice Shivkumar G. Dige cited Kurulkar’s senior role, alleged sharing of sensitive information, and the risk he could influence former subordinates or flee if released.
- Investigators say he exchanged messages, voice calls, and video calls for about a year with an operative using UK phone numbers and aliases such as Zara Dasgupta and Juhi Arora.
- The ATS charge sheet and witness statements say the chats touched on projects treated as secret, including Meteor, BrahMos, Rafale-linked systems, Akash, Astra, the Agni-6 launcher, Aero India activities, and a Rustom 2 test.
- DRDO seized his devices on February 24, 2023, the ATS arrested him on May 3, 2023, and filed a chargesheet on June 30, 2023, while his defence says any material shared was public and the case now moves toward trial.