Official named by FBI in indictment was DRDO counsellor in Indian Embassy

One of them is Manik Mukherjee, who until last year, was a counsellor at the Indian Embassy in Washington. The FBI has alleged that Cirrus Electronics, a firm based in US with offices in Singapore and Bangalore, transferred Intel i980 microprocessors — a dual-use item requiring licenses — for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft project. The transfer, the indictment says, involved two “co-conspirators” who are officials of the Indian government. One of them was then posted in the Indian Embassy.

The other is claimed to be an official of DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) and while his identity is still not clearly established, the FBI has submitted as evidence, e-mails between Cirrus, Mukherjee and one S. Janarthanan of the ADE.

Mukherjee was Counsellor (Defence Technology) at the Indian Embassy in Washington and, according to FBI, he undertook a visit to Rochester Electronics Inc, Newburyport, Massachusetts, in February 2004 to witness the testing of 380 i960 microprocessors. He apparently cleared 377 of these and is said to have signed an “Inspection & Acceptance Certificate on behalf of Government of India.”

It’s, however, learnt that the first reaction from DRDO to the Ministry of External Affairs is that it has done nothing illegal and has sought to distance itself from any violation by the company, in this case Cirrus and its head Parathasarathy Sudarshan. The FBI has alleged that the transfers were made without getting the mandatory licenses and against Arms Export Control Act.

While DRDO is working on its detailed report to the MEA, top officials said that it’s going to argue that the Mukherjee’s visit to test and inspect the equipment was “pre-cleared” by US authorities concerned. As for the ADE official, who is said to have visited US to observe the second round of these tests, the defence is that he obtained a valid US visa. And that if Washington had any doubts, it should have addressed it at the time of providing these clearances for travel.

As evidence to support its...