Exclusive: CCS files, four countries at heart of 'deliberate' security breach at BrahMos

In an extremely concerning development in the BrahMos Aerospace security breach matter, Firstpost has found that the documents allegedly mishandled by former CEO and MD of BrahMos, Dr Sudhir Mishra, included files of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). The secret files of as many as four countries are involved in this pressing issue. Every single one of these countries are known to have displayed interest in the BrahMos missile system at some point.

According to a document accessed exclusively by Firstpost, the claimed security breach was not an accident, but was done deliberately. The document, a part of the evidence collected during the investigation, contains the signed statement of the Personal Assistant to Dr Mishra.

“Dr Mishra used to keep all the Top Secret, Secret and export-related files in his room in the almirah,” the PA’s signed statement, given at the headquarters of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on April 18, 2024, reads.

On November 30, 2021, Dr Mishra told his PA to give him the CCS files of three nations that have shown an interest in the BrahMos missile systems in the past.

The significance of the CCS files

The CCS is the final decision-making body on all matters of India’s national security, including defence policy and expenditure. “How crucial the content of the files must have been is anybody’s guess,” a highly placed DRDO source, who is a part of the Fact Finding Investigation Committee (FFIC) and privy to the developments regarding this probe, said.

Other important files mishandled too

Apart from the CCS files, Dr Mishra also asked for correspondence files pertaining to two nations, and Market Representative (MR) files of four nations.

Firstpost has redacted the names of all these countries in consideration of implications for national security.

Delays in action from DRDO?

Firstpost accessed BrahMos’ internal investigation report and highlighted, on 1 May, 2024, that Dr Mishra had allegedly taken out confidential documents from the BrahMos premises on the day of his retirement — 30 November, 2021.

Eventually, BrahMos launched an investigation about the potential mishandling of sensitive documents by Dr Mishra. This report was submitted to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Based on this, DRDO formed an FFIC. The committee was formed after an internal investigation by BrahMos flagged Dr Mishra’s alleged role in removing documents from its premises.

The Directorate of Public Interface (DPI), DRDO, in response to that article, had said, “DRDO had received complaint against Dr Sudhir Kumar Mishra Ex-CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace. Based upon the complaint, a Fact Finding Inquiry Committee was formed by Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO. However the committee didn’t find any evidence to back the allegation levied.”

Less than a week after Firstpost’s initial report on 1 May, an internal email was sent to DRDO’s top brass, including its Chairman, Dr Samir V Kamat and to the Directorate of Personnel (DoP), Dr Sanjai K Dwivedi. The email said that the probe into the matter is being revisited in light of media reports and the absence of a statement from the current BrahMos CEO.

For the uninitiated, DRDO is heavily involved because BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia’s military-industrial consortium, NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

Vipin Kaushik, Director, DPI, DRDO, said the organisation had no comments in response to Firstpost’s questions regarding the statement.

Dr Mishra told this correspondent, “I was the custodian of all classified files and they used to be in my custody in locker. Therefore the question of the PA accessing them or me asking the PA to bring them does not arise.” He claimed that the PA’s statement was false and may have been made under duress.

BrahMos had not responded to a request for comment till the time of publishing. The company’s response will be added to this story as and when received.

Catch the entire investigation by Firstpost here: