JAIPUR: In a major security development, Mahendra Prasad, manager of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) guest house at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, has been detained on suspicion of espionage.
Prasad, a resident of Almora in Uttarakhand, was apprehended by security agencies late on Monday night.
Given the high sensitivity of the location — frequented by top Indian Defence experts and scientists — his detention has raised serious concerns.
Jaisalmer SP Abhishek Shivhare confirmed that the accused will be handed over to the Joint Interrogation Committee on Tuesday for further questioning.
Preliminary reports suggest that Mahendra Prasad may have been sharing sensitive information with Pakistan.
He has been posted at this highly sensitive DRDO guest house since 2018, during which time he came in contact with several senior Army officers and scientists visiting for weapons testing and war exercises.
During his initial interrogation, Prasad reportedly admitted that he received a suspicious phone call in 2020, after which he was asked to send a slip containing the dates of guests’ stays at the facility.
He claimed it was a one-time interaction and denied passing any other information to Pakistan.
However, Intelligence agencies had been monitoring him after detecting calls to and from Pakistan on his mobile phone. His device is now under forensic analysis, with authorities hoping to extract critical evidence.
The case has further highlighted the vulnerability of Rajasthan’s border region, which spans 1, 070 kilometres along Pakistan and houses several strategic military installations and airbases.