MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th May, 2023) An Indian scientist working for the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), which is subordinate to the Indian Defense Ministry, has been arrested on charges of conducting espionage for Pakistan, the local police said on Friday.
"A DRDO scientist, who was working in one of the facilities of DRDO in (the Indian city of) Pune (in the country's western state of Maharashtra), has been arrested by ATS on the charges of espionage. He was found to have had contact with the operatives of Pakistan's Intelligence Agency through social media via WhatsApp messages, voice calls, video etc," the anti-terrorism squad of Maharashtra Police said, as quoted by Indian broadcaster Times Now.
The arrested scientist, P.M Kurulkar, served as the director of the DRDO research and development division, the broadcaster reported, adding that the man had been specializing in the design and development of missile launchers, and military engineering equipment.
The Maharashtra police are currently conducting further investigation, the report said.
The DRDO website describes Kurulkar as an outstanding specialist who has played a crucial role in the research and development work of the agency.
Espionage allegations put further strain on the already tensed relations between India and Pakistan, complicated by territorial disputes and cross-border hostilities in the contested Kashmir region. In 2022, a wave of arrests swept across India with suspects often sharing confidential data via social media.
