New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday dismissed
a bail application of Indian junior diplomat Madhuri Gupta,
arrested for allegedly passing classified information to
Pakistan`s intelligence officials.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja refused to
grant any relief to Gupta saying that the charges against her
were grave in nature.
53-year-old Gupta was arrested on April 22 from Delhi
on her arrival from Pakistan following a complaint filed
against her with Delhi Police`s Special Cell by Additional
Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Ashok Tomar.
The complaint had alleged that the woman officer
posted at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was having
unauthorised contacts with intelligence officials of the
neighbouring country.
It had accused her of passing secret and classified
information to her contacts.
In her bail plea, Gupta, facing charges under the
Official Secrets Act, had submitted that she was no more
required for the purpose of investigation.
She had also claimed that there was no likelihood of
her absconding from the process of law as she is a permanent
resident of Delhi.
Arguing her bail application, her counsel Joginder
Dahiya referred to a statement made by Minister of State for
External Affairs Preneet Kaur on April 29 in Parliament and
said that she was posted in the information wing of the
mission and had no access to any classified documents.
The counsel also submitted that Gupta was a chronic
patient of blood pressure and had high sugar level.
Additional Public Prosecutor Rita Sharma opposed the
bail application on the ground that some officials were yet to
be examined by the investigators with regard to the case
registered against her.
She also submitted that the computers seized from
Gupta has been sent for forensic examination and the reports
were still awaited.
A promotee officer in the External Affairs Ministry,
Gupta was working in the mission for nearly three years.
She was well-versed in Urdu and her services had been
utilised for translation and interpretation. Earlier, she had
been posted in the Indian mission in Kuala Lumpur and had
worked with `India Perspective`, a magazine of the External
Publicity wing of MEA.
PTI
