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Honey-trapped by Pak spy, Odisha ITR officer arrested for leaking information
The ITR is an important test range of DRDO that sees multiple tests of missiles before induction into the defence forces. Set up in 1989, several missiles of different classes including Trishul, Akash, the antitank missile Nag, surface-to-surface missile Prithvi and the Agni-I have been test-fired from this range
Police on Friday arrested an officer of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the Chandipur area of Odisha’s Balasore district for allegedly leaking sensitive technical information and classified defence information regarding a missile test to an alleged Pakistani agent.
Baburam Dey, 51, who works as technical officer-C in the Telemetry department of ITR was arrested in Balasore after surveillance of his two phone numbers revealed that he shared classified defence information regarding missile tests as well as photographs of the prohibited areas with an alleged woman spy from Rawalpindi in Pakistan.
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“In return, he was getting monetary benefits and pleasure through sexual conversation and by exchanging of sexual photos and videos with the Pakistani agent,” said inspector general of police (eastern range) Himanshu Lal.
Officials said that Dey remains present at his assigned work at ITR at the time of testing of almost all missiles, and cluster bombs by DRDO and other defence agencies. He also maintains contact with DRDO staff/scientists and is exposed to sensitive technical information related to a missile launch, they said.
Balasore superintendent of police (SP) Sagarika Nath said the accused officer was in touch with the Pakistani agent for over a year through WhatsApp calls and chats.
“We are still trying to find out how much information he has transferred. The mobile phone of the officer has been seized and further investigation into the matter is on to find out the involvement of other persons in the case. We have traced the location of the agent to be Rawalpindi,” she said. The SP said a few other officials of ITR have been interrogated in the case.
The ITR is an important test range of DRDO that sees multiple tests of missiles before induction into the defence forces. Set up in 1989, several missiles of different classes including Trishul, Akash, the antitank missile Nag, surface-to-surface missile Prithvi and the Agni-I have been test-fired from this range.
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Three days ago the indigenously-developed ITCM missile was successfully tested at the test range. The range is spread over a length of 17 km along the sea coast where several tracking instruments have been deployed to cover the total flight path of the test vehicles.
In September 2021, five contractual employees working in ITR were arrested on charges of leaking sensitive information to alleged Pakistani agents through social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp after being honey-trapped.
In February 2021, a 41-year-old contractual videographer was sentenced to life by a local court for sharing sensitive photographs of the missile test with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.
