The DRDO’s Chandipur Integrated Test Range centre espionage case has taken a fresh turn with the Odisha crime branch police finding money trail from Dubai and the role of a woman operative in passing classified information to suspected Pakistani agents from the defence establishment.
The accused persons have been brought by the Crime Branch to its headquarters in Cuttack on a 7-day remand. The investigation has found a transfer of Rs 38,000 from Dubai. The amount was transferred to the account of one of the accused persons in two instalments, said Sanjeev Panda, Additional Director General of Police of the Crime Branch.
The role of a woman operative, who was using a United Kingdom based telephone number to chat with the five accused through Facebook messenger and Whatsapp for sharing and exchange of information has come under the scanner. Further inquiry is on to elicit incrimination evidence, he said.
Their bank and social media account details are being verified. We are delving deep into ascertain the terror antecedents of the arrested person. The telephones of the accused persons will be subjected to forensic analysis for expediting the probe, the senior police official informed.
Meanwhile, a team of investigators of Indian Air Force (IAF) has begun a probe into the DRDO’s Integrated Test Range espionage case side by side with a separate investigation by the crime branch wing of Odisha police, Panda informed denying the reports in a section of media that the National Investigating Agency (NIA) is also investigating the case.
It may be recalled here that the Odisha Police had nabbed the five ITR employees on September 13 and 16 for allegedly passing on vital information from the establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to a Pakistani spy in lieu of money.