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June 30, 2025

The Scientist, the Spy, and the Sangh: Unmasking the DRDO Espionage Scandal



On May 3, 2023, the serene corridors of India’s prestigious Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were rocked by a stunning revelation: a senior scientist—entrusted with the nation’s most guarded military secrets—had been arrested for espionage. The man at the heart of the scandal was Dr. Pradeep Kurulkar, a veteran engineer, a former director at DRDO Pune, and, as he openly claimed, a fourth-generation member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

What unfolded was a tangled tale of honey traps, high-tech espionage, and ideological irony—raising difficult questions not just about personal vulnerability, but about institutional safeguards and the politicization of patriotism.


A National Security Nightmare

Kurulkar wasn’t just any scientist. He was the director of R&D (Engineering) at DRDO’s Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) in Pune, a key division involved in developing sophisticated infrastructure for India’s armed forces. His work encompassed missile launcher systems, drone technology, unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), military bridging systems, and next-generation robotics.

According to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Kurulkar was lured into an online relationship by a Pakistani intelligence operative posing as a UK-based software engineer named "Zara Dasgupta." Through flirtatious conversations, WhatsApp messages, and late-night video calls, she managed to entice him into sharing classified information critical to India’s national security.

The alleged communications occurred between June 2022 and February 2023. During this period, Kurulkar is believed to have leaked details on the BrahMos missile system, Agni-6 launcher configurations, Rustom UAVs, UCAVs, and other classified DRDO projects. He reportedly had a 186-page initial design report of BrahMos stored on his personal electronic devices and expressed willingness to reveal more sensitive content in a face-to-face meeting with the operative.

The ATS investigation uncovered an enormous volume of evidence: over 1,800 pages of chat logs, emails, deleted documents, photos, and explicit exchanges. These were recovered from multiple devices, including phones, laptops, and USB drives. Kurulkar allegedly attempted to submit a decoy laptop for forensic analysis, but forensic teams successfully recovered data from his original devices.

For example, one of the text exchanges recovered read:

Kurulkar: "Plan today: 1 camera trap peripheries, 2 thermal drone scanning in the evening..."

Zara: "This is plan for today and tomorrow? It seems hectic."

These kinds of messages showed not only a shocking disregard for operational secrecy but also a personal eagerness to impress his virtual companion.


A Family Steeped in Sangh

The espionage case quickly turned into a political firestorm when Kurulkar’s ideological affiliations were made public. In a pre-arrest interview that later went viral, Kurulkar stated:

"This is our fourth generation in RSS. My grandfather was a swayamsevak. My father was a branch treasurer. I started attending shakhas at the age of five. My son also participates regularly."

For many, this confession came as a jarring contradiction. The RSS, often seen by its supporters as the fountainhead of patriotism, discipline, and cultural nationalism, was now being linked—through one of its loyalists—to an act of betrayal at the highest level.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera did not mince words. He described Kurulkar as a “saxophone-playing Sanghi,” referring to his musical contributions at RSS events, and alleged that he had been Sangathan Mantri of Sanskar Bharati, the cultural wing of the Sangh Parivar.

Images soon surfaced showing Kurulkar at RSS book launches, addressing shakhas, and offering prayers at a statue of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Whether symbolic or coincidental, these associations provided enough political fodder for the opposition to question the government's over-reliance on ideological filters in appointments and clearances.

Kurulkar’s case exposed an uncomfortable truth: that proximity to nationalist organizations is often treated as a proxy for loyalty, even in strategic sectors like defense and intelligence.


The Legal Quagmire

On June 30, 2023, the Maharashtra ATS filed a detailed 1,837-page chargesheet against Kurulkar under the Official Secrets Act. His bail plea was denied by a Pune sessions court in December 2023. The court noted the severity of the charges and the national security implications as grounds for continued custody.

The ATS has since sought permission for conducting a polygraph test and psychoanalysis to evaluate Kurulkar’s mental state and motivations. According to sources, the scientist continued his interactions even after being made aware—directly or indirectly—that he was in contact with a foreign agent. The implication is damning: this wasn’t a lapse; it was a pattern of willful negligence.

The DRDO, in the meantime, has initiated an internal review of protocols concerning access to sensitive data, digital security practices, and background checks for employees in classified departments. Yet, many insiders acknowledge that much of the damage has already been done.

The larger concern now is geopolitical. With India in the midst of critical arms development partnerships—including joint ventures with Russia, Israel, and the United States—such breaches risk undermining international trust and cooperation.


The Politics of Patriotism

What makes the Kurulkar case especially incendiary is the symbolic inversion it represents. In a political ecosystem where dissent is frequently labeled as “anti-national,” the spectacle of an RSS-linked scientist accused of spying for Pakistan has prompted a broader reckoning.

The opposition has raised pointed questions: If ideological proximity is no guarantee of integrity, should it continue to be used as a metric for loyalty? Are appointments in sensitive national institutions being influenced by political bias rather than professional merit? And most crucially, how did someone with such intimate ties to the Sangh escape adequate security scrutiny?

Kurulkar’s defense argues that he was emotionally manipulated, that the so-called "Zara Dasgupta" ensnared him in a web of romantic delusion. But intelligence officials point out that even if such manipulation occurred, it speaks to a dangerous lack of psychological vetting within DRDO's ranks.

This is not the first time a honey trap has been used to compromise Indian officials, but it may be the most damaging in recent memory, given the strategic nature of the information allegedly leaked.


Lessons in National Security

The Kurulkar episode underscores a broader, more sobering truth: that espionage is ideology-agnostic. It does not distinguish between left and right, nationalist or internationalist. It exploits the human condition: loneliness, vanity, ambition, and emotional vulnerability.

In today’s digitized world, intelligence threats no longer require trench coats and encrypted messages. A charming display picture, a few cleverly crafted texts, and a feigned interest in classical music or missile science is often enough to breach the firewalls of national security.

What this case also reveals is the urgent need for institutional insulation from political favoritism. Strategic appointments must be based on competence, psychological resilience, and ethical clarity—not on shakha attendance or sangh parivar legacy.

India’s defense apparatus cannot afford another Kurulkar.


A Final Reflection

The scandal is far from over. Legal proceedings are ongoing. The government remains tight-lipped. The DRDO has largely gone into damage-control mode. But for many, the deeper damage is to the illusion of infallibility that has often accompanied ideological fervor.

The Kurulkar case, with its dramatic plotlines of seduction, secrecy, and sabotage, could one day be the subject of spy thrillers. But in the here and now, it must serve as a wake-up call for the institutions tasked with guarding the republic.

Let this episode remind us that patriotism isn’t worn on sleeves or declared in slogans. It is practiced in the quiet integrity of doing one's duty—especially when no one is watching.


About the Author:


Siddhartha Mishra is an Advocate at the Supreme Court of India and a columnist who writes on politics, law, and national security. He can be reached at ssmishra33@gmail.com.

 

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