Indian Electronics CEO Pleads Not Guilty to Export Violations

The CEO of an electronics supplier charged with exporting U.S. defense technology with missile applications to India pleaded not guilty Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

Parthasarathy Sudarshan, an Indian national who heads Cirrus Electronics, is being held at least until Thursday when he faces a bail hearing. “Prosecutors said he worked closely with Indian government officials to ship heat-resistant memory chips, microprocessors and other equipment to prohibited government agencies,” the AP reports. Also arrested was Indian national Mythili Gopal, the company's international sales manager; he faces an April 17 court date. In addition, two Cirrus employees in Singapore were indicted.

“The FBI says all items were exported in violation of the U.S. arms export control act and has accused two unidentified Indian government officials - including one posted at the Indian Embassy in Washington - of being part of the conspiracy,” reports CNN-IBN, a 24-hour India news network broadcast in English.

The Indian Express reports that the official Indian government response has been minimalist. “We are looking into the allegations. Now they are only allegations...we will get back to you when we have something to say about it,” the newspaper quotes Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon as saying.