UP court orders FIR over 'security breach' at Firozabad ordnance factory

Firozabad (UP), Aug 25 (PTI) A local court has directed police to register an FIR over alleged security lapses and an assault on a senior officer at the Hazratpur ordnance equipment factory in Firozabad, classified as a "Category C" defence installation by the Intelligence Bureau.

The court issued the order on August 8 in this regard. However, no FIR has been lodged yet.

Superintendent of Police Saurabh Dixit on Monday said that FIR will be registered as per the orders of the court.

According to the complaint filed by Raghav Sharma, Senior Manager (Security & Administration) at the factory and a former naval officer, two officials— Himmat Lal Kumawat and Vipin Katiyar— allowed unauthorized access to foreign national Thomas Ferdinand Adlam (60) and later assaulted Sharma for questioning the breach.

The ordnance factory is involved in critical national projects, including technologies for Sukhoi-30 aircraft brake parachutes, Gaganyaan and drones. Security protocols bar smartphones and unauthorized entry.

In his petition before Chief Judicial Magistrate Naresh Kumar Diwakar, Sharma said Adlam, a South African national employed by a US-based aerospace and defence components firm was illegally taken inside the restricted facility on the pretext of friendship, bypassing security norms.

The visitor, who was in India on a tourist visa in February 2025, was allegedly allowed to carry an Android phone despite strict prohibitions on mobile devices inside the plant, the plea said.

Sharma alleged that when he opposed the breach and initiated an internal inquiry, he was threatened, manhandled and attacked.

“They warned me to stop the investigation or face false criminal cases,” Sharma said, adding that private security personnel had to intervene to prevent further harm.

Sharma further claimed that Kumawat and Katiyar had earlier permitted smartphones inside the facility in violation of standing orders, an issue that surfaced during a probe into the March 14 arrest of factory in-charge Ravindra by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad over alleged links to an ISI agent.

Despite a complaint to the senior superintendent of police, no FIR was registered, prompting Sharma to approach the court.

The magistrate on August 8 directed Tundla police to register a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and submit a copy of the FIR to the court within 24 hours. PTI COR ABN ABN KVK KVK KVK