HAL employee arrested for providing information to Pak ISI

Mumbai: An employee of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was arrested today by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad for supplying confidential information to an agency, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The employee, identified as Deepak Shirsath allegedly provided information about fighter aircraft to the agency. He was supplying the information through WhatsApp and social media networks said the police.

Vinay Rathod, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, said that the Nashik unit of the Anti-Terrorism Squad received information about Shirsath from authentic sources. He shared information about the aircraft manufacturing unit of HAL at Ozar, the prohibited area inside the unit, and also, about the airbase.

He was charged for the offence under the sections of 3,4, and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923. Three mobile phones were recovered from him, along with five SIM cards and two memory cards. All the items that were seized by the police have been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory for examination. He was working as an assistant supervisor at HAL. The division of aircraft, HAL is situated 200 km from Mumbai and 24 km from Nashik. It was established in 1964, for the license manufacture of K-13 missiles and MiG-21FL aircraft. MiG variants are also manufactured by the division, like MiG-21M, MiG-21 BIS, and MiG-27 M. It has also manufactured the state-of-the-art fighter jet Su-30 MKI. It also carries out other functions, such as Repair and Overhaul (ROH) Su-30 MKI aircraft and overhaul of the MiG series aircraft.

The 41-year old accused has been sent to police custody.

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