Rajasthan CID Intelligence has arrested Mahendra Prasad, a contractual manager at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Guest House near the Chandan Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, on charges of espionage for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Officials allege that Prasad, a 32-year-old resident of Palyun in Almora, Uttarakhand, was passing sensitive information across the border, including details on the movement of DRDO scientists and Indian Army officers involved in missile and weapons testing at the firing range.
Inspector General of Police (CID-Security) Dr. Vishnukant said the arrest followed heightened surveillance ahead of Independence Day, as agencies monitored potential anti-national activities by foreign agents in the state.
During a joint interrogation at the Central Interrogation Centre in Jaipur and a technical examination of his mobile phone, investigators reportedly found evidence of his contact with Pakistani handlers via social media and the transfer of classified defence information.
Prasad has been booked under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, and will be presented in court on Wednesday, where police are expected to seek his remand for further questioning.
