E-Paper
DRDO scientist held for providing secret info to Pak agent sent in judicial custody till May 29
During the hearing, Kurulkar requested for some medicines, as he has a problem of high blood sugar, and home food
A special court in Pune on Tuesday remanded DRDO scientist Dr Pradeep Kurulkar, arrested on charges of providing confidential information to a Pakistani agent, in judicial custody till May 29. Kurulkar, a director at one of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) labs in Pune, was arrested by the Maharashtra police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on May 3.
During the hearing, Kurulkar requested for some medicines, as he has a problem of high blood sugar, and home food. The court permitted that he be given medicines, but refused his request for food to be delivered from his home. The court sent Kurulkar in judicial custody for next 14 days.
Dr Kurulkar was first produced before the special court on May 4 wherein his custody was extended with ATS for further probe till May 9. It was further extended till May 15 and a one-day additional custody was granted. Following the expiry of the custody on Monday, the court sent him to judicial custody during which he will be lodged in Yerawada Central Jail till May 29.
The ATS further informed the court that it was conducting a cyber investigation of the social media accounts used by the Pakistani Intelligence Operative Zara Dasgupta and analysing reverse call details of the international phone number used by the agent.
On Monday, the ATS stated that the Pakistani operative was also in contact with Air Force Corporal Nikhil Shende The ATS has recorded Shende’s statement under section 164 before the magistrate court and current a department investigation has been set up by the IAF against Shende.
The prosecution earlier informed the court that they seized a phone on which a Pakistani Intelligence Operative had messaged the accused using an Indian number. Kurulkar had allegedly travelled to five to six countries on a diplomatic passport and the prosecution wanted to know whom he met during those trips.
