http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Comps_stolen_from_Kanpur_DRDO_lab/articleshow/2560576.cms 

By Akhilesh Kumar Singh
TNN
22 Nov 2007

KANPUR: In what can be termed as highly detrimental to national 
security, three computers, containing strategic information, have been 
recently stolen from premises of Kanpur-based Defence Material Store 
Research Development and Establishment (DMSRDE), a unit of Defence 
Research Development Organisation (DRDO). And more shocking is the fact 
that the incident has reportedly taken place between November 16 and 
November 19, with former president APJ Abdul Kalam visiting the 
establishment on November 16.

On Tuesday night, the Chakeri police registered a case on the complaint 
lodged by DMSRDE security officer R N Pandey. The matter was reported 
first last Monday when scientist Ashok Ranjan found the locks of Applied 
Chemistry department broken and three computers missing.

"We have already informed DRDO headquarters and a six-member panel 
headed by assistant director Mohd Naseem has been constituted to look 
into the incident and submit a report within 15 days," DMSRDE director K 
U Bhaskar Rao told TOI on Wednesday. He said the incident was very 
serious as the entire premises was a high security zone. "However, it 
wont have any impact on the national security," he added. One stolen 
computer, "Drona," was connected to DRDO Intranet and contains 
information about DRDO scientists including their phone numbers, 
address, designations and also defence-related research projects they 
are associated with. The other computers contained software used for 
sample identification and quality measurement of defence-related 
products.

The establishment is involved in several defence-related projects and 
its scientists are currently working on development of polymer being 
used in BrahMos missile, which was test-fired in February this year. The 
stolen computers were kept in the same laboratory where senior 
scientists are in the middle of developing the above polymers and 
information regarding the polymers slipping away in the wrong hands may 
not be ruled out.

The establishment has developed many Nuclear Biological Chemical 
protection systems like a three-layered permeable suit which provides 
protection against toxic vapour aerosol and droplets. The suit gives 
high breath ability to reduce psychological stress and is vacuum-packed 
to give an extended storage life. The decontamination suit is another 
system developed by DMSRDE. It provides protection against toxic gases. 
Though authorities are non-committal about disclosing the details 
regarding data fed in the stolen computers, they may have contained 
information regarding above systems too and ramifications of such 
information passing in the hands of unwarranted elements can be easily 
understood.

SP (City) Atul Saxena said the incident was not possible without 
connivance of an insider. "The entire boundary wall is fenced and the 
wires are electrified, so the theft has been done smartly. Besides 
finding the culprits, we are also groping on their possible intentions," 
Saxena said.


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