CEO jailed for illegal exports to India

Parthasarathy Sudarshan, the Indian-American CEO of Cirrus Electronics, was sentenced to 35 months in jail on Monday for illegally exporting electronic components to Indian government entities responsible for developing ballistic missiles, space launch vehicles and fighter jets. The US Justice Department said that a court in Washington declared the sentence after Parthasarathy pleaded guilty to violations between 2002 and 2006 of the rule prohibiting US-based companies from exporting certain goods and services to India. After acquiring restricted electronic components with applications in missile guidance and firing systems in the US, Parthasarathy sent the packages to India, without prior authorisation. He obtained the products through his company’s Singapore office to avoid suspicion, delivering them to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), which participates in India’s space launch vehicle program and Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), which is responsible for India’s development and production of ballistic missiles. VSSC and BDL come under the Department of Commerce’s Entity list, requiring exporters to get a licence from the Department of Commerce. Parthasarathy also illegally exported microprocessors to the Aeronautical Development Establishment in India for the development of a fighter jet. By Ms.Bobby Aanand, Metropolitan Jury.

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