The Hindu : Front Page : Five arrested in `War Room Leak' case

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Friday, Apr 07, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Five arrested in `War Room Leak' case

Special Correspondent

CBI conducts raids in 17 locations

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five persons, including three former naval officers, and conducted searches at 17 locations in connection with the alleged leakage of classified documents pertaining to the Defence Ministry.

Of the three former officers arrested on Wednesday night in the "War Room Leak case," two were produced before a Delhi court on Thursday. They were remanded to 14 days police custody, while the third was given transit remand. On Thursday, two civilians were arrested from Pune. They were being brought to Delhi on transit remand, a CBI release said.

Lieutenant-Commander (retd.) Kulbhushan Parashar, an accused, was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here when he returned from London by an Air India flight. Soon after the arrests, the CBI raided 17 places — primarily the residential premises of all the accused — in Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune, Mumbai, Goa and Muzaffarpur.

The agency also searched the offices of a chartered accountant in Mumbai and the factory premises of a private company in Mumbai and Goa belonging to one of the accused.

The case was registered under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on the basis of information received form the Defence Ministry that three naval officers and an officer of the Indian Air Force, in collusion with civilians, retired officers and others, allegedly conspired to unauthorised trading in classified documents and information relating to the Ministry. Such information was likely to affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

The case was registered against nine persons, including a former Wing Commander of the Air Force, two former Commanders of the Navy, a former Naval Captain and five civilians under Sections 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3(1) (c) and 5 of the OSA, 1923.

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