NEW DELHI: A series of viral Instagram reels and an old X post by former ISRO scientist Praveen Kumar Maurya have suddenly thrust a years-old national security controversy back into the spotlight. Thousands of Indians are sharing the videos, expressing shock, outrage and urgent calls for a central probe. Many are asking: Is there a spy network inside one of India’s top space centres? Are sensitive missile technologies being leaked?
Maurya’s most recent public allegations, posted in March 2025 and now fuelling the 2026 storm, are blunt and alarming. On March 7, 2025, he wrote on X: “I request @DRDO_India to never share any info with VSSC/@isro. I witnessed the details of the AD-1 model of the Hypersonic Brahmos Missile that came for testing from DRDL at HWTD/VSSC being communicated to the spy network by my Group Director, at VSSC.”
Just a day earlier he had warned: “They are planning disruption activities such as terror, bombing, political propaganda, and civil war all over India. The Maoist traitor lobby of VSSC/ISRO passes all the information collected from all over India to the Spy network which operates via Dubai/UAE.”
He added: “I was ordered to be part of the disruption activities which involves espionage, terror, bombing, and political propaganda, and civil war all over India. Because of my refusal, these Maoist traitors from Kerala abducted me and destroyed my life.”
The posts, though more than a year old, have exploded again thanks to Maurya’s “My Story” reel series on Instagram. Public concern is running high, with many drawing parallels to the famous 1990s ISRO espionage case that ended in exoneration for scientist Nambi Narayanan.
Who Is Praveen Kumar Maurya?
Praveen Kumar Maurya grew up in a small town in eastern Uttar Pradesh. After cracking the IIT-JEE, he joined ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram around 2014 as a rocket scientist. He worked on cutting-edge projects including scramjets, hypersonics and India’s human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan. Today he calls himself a “rocket scientist turned lawyer” and runs lifeneeti.com, an online platform offering life-strategy lessons drawn from psychology, science and his personal battles.
Early Warning Signs at VSSC
Maurya says problems began even before the alleged spy approach. In January 2022 he raised internal complaints about what he described as a “Kerala lobby,” a group of senior officials from Kerala, allegedly discriminating against North Indian scientists. He claimed they gave poor Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs) to block promotions and even threaten termination of non-locals, while protecting their own circle.
The Alleged Espionage Approach
According to Maurya, in late 2021 a neighbour named Ajikumar Surendren, who claimed Dubai connections and was married to a Filipino woman, approached him repeatedly. Surendren allegedly offered “hefty” or “colossal” money to leak classified Gaganyaan and other ISRO data to a spy network operating through Dubai/UAE. Maurya refused. In formal letters to the Prime Minister’s Office and other authorities he later wrote: “I was approached by spies for carrying out espionage. They promised me huge money in exchange for working as per the command of some people in Dubai.”
The Midnight Arrest and Alleged Setup
On the night of February 5-6, 2022, the situation escalated dramatically. Maurya claims that during an evening walk near his residence, Surendren’s minor daughter (brought from the Philippines) was used in a honey-trap setup. Kerala Police from Thumba station arrested him on charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, alleging he harassed the minor and sold her ganja.
He has repeatedly alleged collusion between Surendren, the “Maoist traitor lobby” inside VSSC/ISRO and the police. He says VSSC employees leaked his personal details and were present during the arrest. He also claims he was tortured in custody and that the FIR was filed a day later with inconsistencies. No drugs were ever recovered. Maurya has pointed out a telling line in the FIR itself: “Praveen is a North Indian.” He later posted: “It is shamelessly written in my FIR that ‘Praveen is a North Indian’, probably because being a north Indian is a crime in Kerala, or perhaps being a north Indian I did not participate with the Maoist Traitor’s Lobby of Kerala in waging war against India.”
Fighting Back: Evidence, Threats and a Solo Legal Battle
Maurya was granted bail on February 8, 2022, but was immediately suspended by ISRO. Harassment allegedly continued, honey-trap attempts via WhatsApp and video calls, threats to delete his social media posts, and warnings to his family. He began recording everything. In one audio clip he shared widely, a Sub-Inspector allegedly revealed internal ISRO decisions before they were official. Maurya asked: “How come a mere Sub-Inspector in Trivandrum knows on 25th April that there will be a committee at ISRO Headquarters in Bangalore that will revoke my suspension on 6th May 2022?”
Between April and November 2022 he wrote multiple detailed complaints to the Prime Minister’s Office, ISRO Chairman, Union Home Minister, Chief Justice of India and others, demanding a CBI or NIA investigation. Public support, he said, prompted the PMO to push ISRO for an internal inquiry. He faced threats but refused to back down.
While fighting the case he studied law so he could represent himself. For nearly three years he battled alone.
Court Victory and Fresh Allegations
In 2025 the court fully acquitted him. Maurya later declared: “Now the hon’ble court has acquitted me of all charges. I have to fight for three years to prove my innocence, that I am neither a Drug supplier nor a Child molester, just an ordinary space scientist who refused to commit treason for money.”
He chose not to rejoin ISRO, citing safety fears. That same year he made his most serious allegation yet, the direct leak of AD-1 hypersonic BrahMos missile data by a Group Director at VSSC.
Supreme Court Steps In
In January 2026 the Supreme Court directed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate Maurya’s claims of human rights violations during his arrest and treatment. He called the order a “glimmer of hope” while continuing to press for a full probe into the alleged espionage.
Life After ISRO: The LifeNeeti Chapter
On LinkedIn, Instagram (@life.neeti) and his website lifeneeti.com, Maurya now shares motivational content built around principles of courage, strategy and resilience. His “My Story” page frames the entire ordeal as a painful but transformative journey that turned him into “part lion, part fox.” The recent reels narrating his experience have gone viral, bringing his case back into millions of homes.
No Official Confirmation – But Questions Remain
To date, no official statement from ISRO, DRDO, NIA or CBI has confirmed the existence of a spy network, the involvement of any Group Director or the leakage of AD-1 missile technology. No public arrests or charges have been reported against the individuals Maurya named. However, his criminal case ended in complete acquittal, and the Supreme Court-ordered NHRC probe into human rights aspects is now active.
As the reels continue to spread and citizens demand answers, Praveen Kumar Maurya’s story, whether viewed as a lone whistleblower’s testimony or a warning of deeper vulnerabilities, has once again focused national attention on the need for transparency and strong safeguards inside India’s strategic scientific institutions. The coming weeks may bring fresh developments from the NHRC or central agencies. For now, one thing is clear: the conversation is far from over.
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