The held DRDO staffs have been identified as Prakash Behera alias Tulu Behera, Basant Behera and Sheikh Musaq. They have been deployed in manual operational work at the defence installation.
The detentions were made after National Intelligence Bureau shared specific information with its Odisha counterpart regarding the trio’s involvement in espionage, says report.
A joint team of State Intelligence Bureau officials and Balasore Police’s special squad led by Eastern Range IG picked up the accused trio from the main gate of the DRDO’s integrated test range (ITR) for questioning. Later, two others who were assisting them from outside were also taken into detention for quizzing separately.
While the Intelligence agencies are suspecting the detained trio’s link with Ishwar Behera, a 41-year-ol photographer of DRDO who was sentenced for life on espionage charge in February this year, the same is being examined, says report.
Notably, during investigation it had come to notice that Behera was going close to the missile testing sites to take videos, and later leave for Kolkata to hand over those to an Pakistan ISI agent.
In his reaction on the issue Odisha DGP Abhay informed that the investigation is in the preliminary stage and it will take 3-4 hours more to share anything concrete on the same.
