HC denies anticipatory bail to war room leak case accused

New Delhi, May 18 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today denied anticipatory bail to sacked Naval Commander V K Jha, an accused in Navy War Room leak case.

Justice R C Jain however extracted an assurance from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the inquiry within two months.

CBI counsel Gopal Subramanium strongly opposed the petitioner's bail plea.

Being in-charge of the computer section of the war room, V K Jha would have known how strategically important documents were stored in the computers, he submitted.

Our investigation has revealed that he called a ward-boy to take the computer away and give it to sacked Commander Vijender Rana, the CBI counsel added.

He submitted that the petitioner had knowingly withdrawn the password from the computer so that Rana could get access to the naval secrets and leak out.

Afterwards the data was downloaded into eight pendrives bought by Rana, he said, adding that the CBI only recovered two of them.

Petitioner's counsel argued that V K Jha had an unblemished record.

Besides, there was no mensrea, he submitted.

However, the judge observed that the facts of the case speak for the gravity of the offence travelling beyond the words.

That the petitioner allowed such offence to happen militates against his case, he observed, denying anticipatory bail.

UNI SSS LS HS1741