BEL Employee in Bengaluru Detained for Sharing Sensitive Data with Pakistan
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Synopsis
An employee from Bharat Electronics Limited in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information to Pakistan. The operation involved multiple intelligence agencies and highlights ongoing concerns regarding espionage in India.
Key Takeaways
- Deep Raj Chandra, a BEL employee, arrested for espionage.
- Coordinated operation by state, central, and military intelligence.
- Previous arrests linked to leaking information about the Karwar Naval Base.
- Concerns of honey trapping by Pakistani intelligence operatives.
- Ongoing investigations into the activities of the accused.
Bengaluru, March 20 (NationPress) Central intelligence agencies have detained an Indian citizen, an employee of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), for engaging in espionage activities for Pakistan in Bengaluru, sources reported on Thursday. The operation was a coordinated effort by state, central, and military intelligence agencies.
The individual arrested has been named as Deep Raj Chandra, who was employed in the Product Development and Innovation Centre Division at Bharat Electronics Limited. He lived in the Mattikere neighborhood of Bengaluru.
Deep Raj Chandra originated from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Further details are expected, and an official statement from the central agencies is forthcoming.
Bharat Electronics Limited is a public sector aerospace and defense electronics firm, based in Bengaluru. The company primarily produces advanced electronic solutions for ground and aerospace uses. BEL is one of the 16 public sector undertakings (PSUs) overseen by the Ministry of Defence of India and has been awarded Navratna status by the Government of India.
On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) detained a junior works manager from the Kanpur Ordnance Factory for allegedly transmitting classified information to a suspected Pakistani intelligence agent.
Earlier, on March 14, the UP ATS arrested an Ordnance Factory worker, named Ravindra Kumar, on charges of espionage for allegedly leaking confidential data to a Pakistani intelligence contact. He was taken into custody at the ATS headquarters in Lucknow.
Subsequently, on February 18, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended two individuals related to the leak of sensitive information regarding the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka to Pakistan. The detainees were identified as Vetana Tandel, a resident of Muduga village, and Akshay Naik, from Halavalli in the Karwar district. A team from Hyderabad traveled to Karwar to take the suspects into custody.
The NIA initially questioned three individuals -- Vetana Tandel, Akshay Naik, and Sunil, a local from Todur -- concerning the information leak back in August 2024. They were released at the time, but the agency continued to track their activities. Reports suggested that the suspects may have been compromised by Pakistani operatives through honey trapping. An alleged female Pakistani agent utilized the suspects to gather sensitive data.
This agent reportedly gathered specific information about the suspects and sent them friend requests on Facebook in 2023. The suspects are said to have exchanged photographs of the Karwar Naval Base along with details of naval operations for monetary compensation. Their involvement in espionage came to light after the arrest of an individual named Deepak and others by the NIA in Hyderabad in 2023. Investigators also discovered that funds were deposited into the suspects' bank accounts as remuneration for their 'services.'
Vetana and Akshay were engaged on a contractual basis with Iron and Mercury, a firm situated in the Chandya region of Karwar. Sunil, who had previously worked as a contract staff member at the canteen of the Sea Bird Naval Base, was employed as a driver. The NIA has acquired additional intelligence regarding their activities.
INS Kadamba or the Naval Base Karwar or Project Seabird is a naval base of the Indian Navy located near Karwar in Karnataka. INS Kadamba is currently the third-largest naval base in India and is projected to become the largest in the eastern hemisphere upon completion of its expansion. Both aircraft carriers of the Navy, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, are stationed at Karwar. The base also features the nation's first sealift facility, an innovative 'shiplift' and transfer system for docking and undocking vessels and submarines.
