Saturday, March 29, 2025
Jaisalmer, August 13, 2025 – Rajasthan CID Intelligence has arrested 32-year-old Mahendra Prasad, manager of the DRDO guest house near the Chandan Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer, on charges of spying for Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI. Investigators allege that he was sending sensitive and strategic information to Pakistan.
Who is the accused?
Mahendra Prasad hails from Palyun village in Almora district, Uttarakhand. Employed on contract as a manager at the DRDO guest house, he was allegedly in contact with Pakistani handlers through social media and was passing on confidential details about DRDO scientists and Indian Army officers.
Security alert before Independence Day
Ahead of Independence Day celebrations, Rajasthan CID had increased surveillance on suspected anti-national and disruptive activities. During this monitoring, suspicious movements by Prasad were detected, revealing his alleged ISI links.
Information targeted
Prasad reportedly kept track of the movement of officers at the Chandan Field Firing Range — a site where missile and weapons testing is conducted — and passed details to Pakistani handlers. Authorities say this could have posed a serious threat to India’s security.
Technical evidence and charges
A joint interrogation by multiple intelligence agencies at Jaipur’s central questioning facility, along with a forensic examination of Prasad’s mobile phone, confirmed that he was sharing classified information about DRDO and the Indian Army. Based on this, a case was registered on August 12 under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
Prasad will be produced in court on Wednesday, where the CID will seek his remand for further questioning to uncover the scale of the suspected espionage network and identify possible accomplices.
