Hemant Kumar Rout By

BALASORE: Even as the police are likely to take suspected ISI agent Iswar Chandra Behera on 14-day remand from Wednesday, preliminary investigation has revealed that he was entrusted with the job of keeping a close watch on defence scientists coming from different laboratories of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Employed on a contractual basis to work in the CCTV section of the control tower, Behera had access to all vital installations and sensitive areas of the test facilities in the DRDO making it convenient for him to keep tabs on the scientists.

Reliable sources told The Express that in 2010, Behera met a person at Wheeler Island test facility who identified himself as Sribastav of Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), a Hyderabad-based DRDO laboratory which is responsible for design and development of Agni series of missiles.

“On December 10 in the same year, first trial of the surface-to-surface intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) Agni-II Prime had failed. During the period, Behera and Sribastav had spent nearly four days on the Wheeler Island,” the source said.

Later, Behera received a call from the number that was being used by Srivastav, but the person introduced himself as Srinivasan. Since then, Behera was in contact with the two, who police claim are ISI agents. He used to receive international calls from Pakistan and it is suspected that he was given some tasks to execute.

Police said Behera used to send videos and photographs of missile tests and DRDO scientists besides those of the test facilities and the mission control room to his contact persons. Though it appears that Behera was trapped by the ISI, the purpose is yet to be revealed by the investigating agency.

Meanwhile, defence experts have blamed the DRDO authorities for entrusting a contractual employee like Behera with important works and allowing him into sensitive areas of the test facility.

Behera (35), a resident of Kantipur village under Baisinga police limits of Mayurbhanj district, was nabbed by a Special Wing of Odisha Police on January 23 after Intelligence Bureau tracked his movements for nearly 10 months.

Behera had received money from Meerut, Mumbai, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Abu Dhabi while he had once met an agent in Kolkata.