BEL engineer held for sharing classified info to Pak handlers: Karnataka HM G Parameshwara
Bengaluru, Mar 20 (PTI): A BEL engineer who allegedly passed sensitive information, including on communication and radar systems to his handlers in Pakistan has been arrested by the intelligence agencies, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday.
He said the Bharat Electronics Limited staffer had shared the information about the vital decisions and the products manufactured here.
"In Bharat Electronics Limited, a person named Deepraj Chandra, 36 years of age, was a senior engineer. Our intelligence officials and also the military intelligence officials secured him for being in touch with Pakistan intelligence officials... he shared the most classified information," Parameshwara told reporters here.
The Minister said many information has been gathered from Chandra, who hails from Uttar Pradesh.
"He was involved in treason. Military intelligence is taking further action. This is a scary issue. He had shared many vital information and decisions about the equipment manufactured by the country," Parameshwara said.
Sources said Chandra was a native of Ghaziabad, who was working in the research team of BEL.
He was held for allegedly leaking sensitive information about Indian government offices to Pakistan in exchange for Bitcoin payments, the sources said.
The accused is suspected of sharing sensitive details related to office layouts, senior officials, and production systems, sources said.
The leaked information includes communication and radar systems, operating frameworks, security protocols, and details about high-ranking officials, the sources claimed.
The specific recipient in Pakistan is still under investigation, they said.
Chandra used encrypted communication channels like email, WhatsApp, and Telegram to establish contact.
Investigators suspect that he drafted classified information, for which he created a separate email ID, and shared login credentials instead of sending messages directly to avoid detection.
The central intelligence agencies have started probing the case.
Officials are also looking for two more suspects who were in contact with the accused.
The investigation is ongoing, with officials tracking digital transactions and communications to determine the full extent of the leak, sources said.
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Karnataka Assembly passes hate speech bill amid din
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 18 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed a bill against hate speech amid a din.
The Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill, the first such law in the country, has a provision for a jail term up to seven years and fine up to Rs one lakh.
It was passed amid din by the BJP MLAs.
The bill, cleared by the cabinet on December 4, was presented in the House by Home Minister G Parameshwara on December 10.
The Minister said the provision for 10 years jail term in the event of repeated offence has been reduced to seven years.
According to the bill, any expression, which is made, published or circulated in words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic communication or otherwise, in public view, with an intention to cause injury, disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will against person alive or dead, class or group of persons or community, to meet any prejudicial interest, is hate speech.
During the discussion, Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh said coastal Karnataka is "burning" due to hate speech and hate crime.
BJP MLAs from the region raised objections to this and then trooped into the well of the house. Other BJP legislators followed them.
Later, the bill was passed.
