Balasore

Odisha Police on Tuesday arrested four contractual employees working at Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facility in Chandipur, under the Official Secret Act for allegedly passing on vital information about the high-security defence installation to some 'foreign agents' over the telephone and other means.

In an official statement, Odisha police said the four accused were arrested under sections 120-B, 121-A, and 34 of Indian Penal Code, along with sections 3,4 and 5 of the Official Secret Act by for "committing the offence of causing serious harm to the security, sovereignty and integrity of our nation and further interrogation of these four detainees and some others is going on to unearth more evidence in the case."

The police said it received credible intelligence that some persons are "wrongfully and willfully communicating the classified defence secrets to foreign agents, appearing to be Pakistani agents, being contacted from various ISD phone numbers and in exchange, they were getting wrongful monetary benefits from them."

Basing on these inputs, multiple police teams were formed to apprehend the culprits.

In the course of raids by Balasore police, several incriminating materials are also recovered.

The police said a similar case in Balasore district was earlier registered in Chandipur police station which was investigated by the Crime Branch of Odisha and the same resulted in the conviction of the accused.

"We will take the assistance of Crime Branch and other agencies further in the matter," police added.

Earlier sources in Odisha Police had informed the five contractual employees working at the DRDO facility in Chandipur were detained and questioned in the matter.