BEL engineer arrested in Bengaluru for spying for Pakistan

Bengaluru: Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday that an engineer working with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru was arrested for leaking sensitive information to his handlers in Pakistan.

The information included communication on radar systems, he said, adding that the arrest was initiated by intelligence agencies.

"In BEL, a person named Deepraj Chandra, 36 years of age, was a senior engineer. Our intelligence and military intelligence officials secured him for being in touch with Pakistan intelligence officials... he shared the most classified information," Parameshwara told reporters here.

Parameshwara said the BEL engineer, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, had shared the information about vital decisions and products manufactured in Bengaluru.

"He was involved in treason. Military intelligence is taking further action. This is a scary issue. He had shared many vital information and decisions about the equipment manufactured by the country," Parameshwara said.

Sources said Chandra was a native of Ghaziabad and worked in the research team of BEL. He was held for leaking sensitive information about Indian government offices to Pakistan in exchange for Bitcoin payments, they added.

The accused is suspected of sharing sensitive details related to office layouts, senior officials and production systems, according to the sources.

The leaked information includes communication and radar systems, operating frameworks, security protocols, and details about high-ranking officials, the sources claimed.

The specific recipient in Pakistan is still under investigation, the sources said. Chandra used encrypted communication channels like email, WhatsApp and Telegram to establish contact.

Investigators suspect that he drafted classified information, created a separate email ID and shared login credentials instead of sending messages directly to avoid detection.

Central intelligence agencies have launched a probe. Officials are also looking for two more suspects who were in contact with Chandra. Officials are also tracking digital transactions and communications to determine the full extent of the leak, sources said.

(With inputs from PTI)