Maharashtra: DRDO official in Nagpur arrested for suspected espionage
Nishant Aggarwal, who is suspected to have leaked classified information, is being questioned.
An official working with a unit of Defence Research and Development Organisation in Maharashtra’s Nagpur was taken into custody on Monday for suspected espionage links, PTI reported.
The Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squads arrested Nishant Aggarwal, who reportedly worked at the BrahMos Aerospace Centre, in a joint operation, reported The Times of India. An unidentified official told The Indian Express that Aggarwal is suspected of leaking classified information.
“Very sensitive info [information] was found on his [Aggarwal’s] personal computer,” ANI quoted Inspector General of Police (UP Anti-Terrorism Squad) Aseem Arun as saying. Arun said police also found evidence of Aggarwal chatting on Facebook with people based in Pakistan.
Aggarwal is likely to be booked under the Official Secrets Act, according to an unidentified senior official of the investigating team. “We have found some incriminating material and Aggarwal is being confronted with it,” the official added.
The two agencies have been camping in Nagpur since Sunday night and officials have seized material from the suspect.
BrahMos is the world’s fastest supersonic missile, which can fly at almost three times the speed of sound. The Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia’s NPOM are jointly developing the guided cruise missile.