Odisha: Police Gets Clues On Honey-Trapped ITR Officer’s Financial Deals, May Seek Further Remand

Balasore: Many new facts including clues on financial dealings have been obtained by police during interrogation of arrested officer of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Odisha’s Chandipur and his further remand may be sought if necessary.

A team of Indian Air Force and another from Andhra Pradesh intelligence also arrived after the arrest of Senior Technical Officer Baburam Dey for allegedly passing sensitive defence information to  Pakistani agent, Balasore SP Sagarika Nath said.

Combined interrogation of the accused by the police and these two teams was conducted and many important information and additional facts came to light during the questioning after he was taken on remand three days ago, she said.

Some information about financial transactions had also been obtained. In order to validate the information, the data transmitted from the mobile phone of the accused will be examined.

Six electronic instruments including mobile phones and laptop have been seized from the accused and these are being sent for forensic and technical analysis to New Delhi or Kolkata, Nath said.

Investigation is also on to ascertain the international links of Baburam and find out if more people are involved in the racket.

Efforts are on to gather more information from the accused and if necessary his further remand may be sought, the SP said.

Baburam was arrested on February 24 and then taken on remand by the police for four days following the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) gave permission the next day.

The police had arrested Baburam for allegedly passing sensitive defence information to a Pakistani agent. A case had been registered against him at Chandipur police station on a written report filed by sub-inspector Chandra Sekhar Mohanty.

The ITR officer allegedly transmitted/shared the secrets of sensitive defence information regarding missile tests to a Pakistani agent for sexual as well as monetary gratification through WhatsApp conversation and exchange of sexual images and videos.

The officer was in contact with the agent, who was operating from Rawalpindi, for over a year.