PUNE: Honeytrapped, top Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist Pradeep Kurulkar, who is under arrest since May on charges of espionage, had offered to show a 'highly classified' report on the BrahMos missile project to a female Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), who identified herself as Zara Dasgupta when they met in person.

This was revealed during the investigation into the DRDO espionage case by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and they have included the WhatsApp chat conversations between the two that had been obtained as evidence in a chargesheet that consists of six volumes and 1,837 pages filed before a special court in Pune.

Kurulkar, the head of DRDO's Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) or R&D (E) laboratory, was arrested on 3 May by the ATS under sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) related to spying and wrongful communication with the female PIO in a suspected case of honey trap.

According to the ATS, the female PIO, who is also a wanted accused in the case, initially contacted Kurulkar on WhatsApp, claiming to be a software engineer based in the UK after which she enticed him with explicit messages, voice and video calls. Kurulkar was attracted to this woman and began regular liaisoning with her via phone chats, especially on WhatsApp. 

Kurulkar had engaged in multiple conversations with her between 10 June 2022 and 24 February 2023 during which Zara aimed to obtain confidential information from Kurulkar about various DRDO and defence projects in India.

According to the chargesheet, Kurulkar who had got 'attracted' to the PIO and allegedly misused his position to share highly confidential information with her.  As per the chargesheet, he discussed the BrahMos missile from 19 October to 28 October 2022 and during one such chat Zara asked him if the BrahMos missile was also the other person's invention, referring to it as the 'dangerous one. 

Kurulkar replied, "I have the initial design report some 186 A4 size on all BrahMos versions, but I cannot send a copy of that report to chat or mail as it is highly classified, but I will trace and keep it ready when you are here will try and show you here."

Probably had the liaison not been detected and Kurulkar was not arrested and later investigated, perhaps the plan of the PIO to obtain sensitive information from the DRDO scientist would have been successful.