Who is Deeparaj Chandran, Pakistan Spy Arrested In Bengaluru For Leaking Defence Secrets?

Bengaluru: In a joint operation led by the central, state, and defence intelligence agencies, a senior engineer working at the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has been arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive defense-related information to Pakistan in exchange of Bitcoin payments. 

The 36-year-old accused, Deeparaj Chandran from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, was working as a Senior Engineer at the Product Development and Innovation Centre (PDIC) at BEL. Chandran is accused of leaking critical defense-related information like details on production systems, office layouts, and senior officials to the Pakistani operatives.

The intelligence agencies are suspecting that Chandran had encrypted communication channels, including Email, WhatsApp, and Telegram, to establish contact with his agents in Pakistan. Officers probing the case have shared shocking details about how the accused created a secret email account and drafted classified information. To evade detection, Chandran shared log-in credentials instead of sending the emails directly so that the operatives in Pakistan can collect the sensitive data kept in the email drafts.

The authorities are suspecting that Chandran may have been leaking defence-related information for an extended time period raising serious concerns over national security breach. 

The intelligence agencies are currently analysing digital transactions and communication logs to determine the full extent of the breach. The accused BEL senior engineer is now being interrogated by the officials who are working to stitch the timeline of events.

ATS Arrests Another Spy From Kanpur

A similar incident came to light from Uttar Pradesh when the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested a man named Kumar Vikas for allegedly leaking sensitive information to an intelligence agent from Pakistan. Kumar Vikas was employed at the Kanpur Ordnance Factory as Junior Works Manager. 

According to the reports, Kumar Vikas got in touch with the Pakistani agent via Facebook. The Pakistani agent introduced herself as a Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) employee. Both used to communicate via Ludo app to maintain secrecy.