DRDO employee, arrested on espionage charges, subjected to IB, IAF interrogation

The DRDO employee, who worked in the Telemetry department of Integrated Test Range, allegedly shared classified defence information regarding missile test as well as photographs of the prohibited areas to a woman agent from Rawalpindi in Pakistan through WhatsApp chat and call

Published on: Feb 27, 2023, 21:03:37 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Share via

Copy link

Three days after a 51-year-old official of Integrated Test Range (ITR) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Chandipur area of Odisha’s Balasore district was arrested on charges of passing sensitive information of the ballistic missile launch sites to alleged Pakistani agents, he was subjected to joint interrogation by the Odisha police, an Intelligence Bureau (IB) team from Andhra Pradesh and a team of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to validate the data that has been transmitted through his mobile phone.

A joint interrogation was done to validate that information and data transmitted through the DRDO employee’s mobile phone. (Representative Image)

Balasore superintendent of police (SP) Sagarika Nath said during questioning of Baburam Dey, the technical officer-C of ITR arrested in the espionage case, police seized six electronic equipments including a laptop and two mobile phones and found some additional sensitive information. “To validate that information and data transmitted through the mobile, the joint interrogation was done,” said Nath.

The electronic equipments will be sent to Delhi or Kolkata for further forensic and technical analysis depending upon how quick it can be done. Dey, who worked in the Telemetry department of Integrated Test Range allegedly shared classified defence information regarding missile test as well as photographs of the prohibited areas to a woman agent from Rawalpindi in Pakistan through WhatsApp chat and call.

“He was present at the time of testing of almost all missiles, cluster bombs by DRDO and other defence agencies and had sensitive technical information related to missile launch. The Pakistani agent who was in touch with Dey had honeytrapped him through sexual conversation, photos and videos,” said the SP.

Baburam was arrested on February 24 and then taken on remand by the police for four days following permission by the sub-divisional judicial magistrate.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Home/Cities/Others/DRDO Employee, Arrested On Espionage Charges, Subjected To IB, IAF Interrogation