Seeking the extension of police custody of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist Pradeep Kurulkar, arrested on charges of providing confidential information to a Pakistani agent, the prosecution told a special court on Tuesday they have received the forensic report of devices seized from him and some images, videos and files that were deleted earlier have been retrieved now.
The special court in Pune extended till May 15 the police custody of Kurulkar, arrested by the Maharashtra police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on May 3, after observing that charges against him were serious and custodial interrogation of the accused for a further period is unavoidable for a thorough probe.
The DRDO scientist was produced before the additional sessions judge (Special Court) in the afternoon after the end of his police custody.
The prosecution, while arguing for further custody of Kurulkar, informed the court they have seized a phone on which the PIO (Person of Indian Origin) agent had messaged the accused using an Indian number.
It sought to know why the PIO was blocked by the accused, and told the court they wanted to interrogate him on this and other issues related to the case.
The prosecution, through its lawyer Vijay Fargade, said Kurulkar, a director at one of the DRDO labs in Pune, had travelled to five to six countries on a diplomatic passport and they wanted to know whom he met during these trips.
The prosecution informed the court they had sent some electronic devices, including mobile phones, seized from the accused, to a forensic laboratory and they have received its report.
According to the report, some images and videos deleted earlier have been retrieved from the said devices and they need to analyse that data.
Advocate Fargade said they need to probe the scientist's financial transactions from his bank statements.
Further custody was also sought on the ground the accused had met some women in the DRDO guest house in Pune.
The police were yet to receive the visitor record of the DRDO guest house and once the document was received, the accused needs to be questioned on this angle, it said.
It needs to be probed if any other person helped the accused in providing the confidential information, Fargade told the court.
Opposing the custody extension plea, Rhishikesh Ganu, the counsel for Kurulkar, said relevant devices have already been seized and since his client is a decorative officer and cooperating with the ATS in the probe, there was no need for his custodial interrogation anymore.
After hearing arguments from both sides, additional session judge S R Navandar, in his order, said that during the investigation, some new facts have come to light.
"The investigating officer has received some retrieved data from the forensic laboratory. It means that certain data was deleted from the mobile phone of the accused, and the said data needs to be analysed as allegations made against the accused are serious," said the judge.
The judge said apparently certain images and data, shared by the accused with foreigners, can be said to be an anti-national act on his part, considering the position he is holding (in DRDO).
'If the activities are detrimental to the interests of the country, more particularly to the security of the nation, the investigation has to be done thoroughly. Therefore, custodial interrogation of the accused for a further period is unavoidable and the police custody is extended till May 15,' said the judge in its order.
Meanwhile, workers and leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party's Pune city unit staged a protest against Kurulkar.
They alleged the DRDO scientist was affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and sought a thorough probe into the matter and strict punishment to him.
The scientist was allegedly in touch with an agent of a Pakistan Intelligence Operative through WhatsApp and video calls, an ATS official said last week, adding it was a case of honeytrap.
After his arrest, an offence under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act was registered against Kurulkar.
