Indian nationals arrested for tech export violations

Indian nationals arrested for tech export violations The Indian chief executive of an electronics supply company has been charged with shipping closely guarded U.S. computer technology to India for use in missiles and other weapon systems, AP reported Monday.
   'Working with Indian government officials, Cirrus Electronics founder Parthasarathy Sudarshan ordered computer equipment from U.S. manufacturers using falsified documents about their destination,' the AP story said. 'The parts were allegedly shipped to India through Cirrus offices in South Carolina and Singapore.
   '(Federal) prosecutors say that between 2003 and 2006, Sudarshan was buying the equipment for three Indian government agencies: the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, which researches spacecraft and ballistic missiles; Bharat Dynamics Ltd., a key agency in the nation’s guided missile program; and the Aeronautical Development Establishment, which is developing the Tejas combat jet. The U.S. Commerce Department restricts exports to these agencies. The equipment included heat-resistant memory chips, microprocessors, capacitors and semiconductors used in missile guidance systems and firing systems, according to a federal indictment unsealed recently.'
   Sudarshan and Mythili Gopa, the company's international sales manager, were arrested March 23 and ordered held without bail, AP reported. Sudarshan's court hearing, for charges of export violations, international arms trafficking, being agents for a foreign government and conspiracy, is scheduled for today. Gopa is due in court April 17. Two others were indicted and have not been arrested: Akn Prasad, head of Indian operations for Cirrus at its office in Bangalore, and Sampath Sundar, the company’s operations director who worked out of Singapore.