Shankaran declared 'proclaimed offender' by CBI court

New Delhi, June 17 (UNI) A Special CBI court today declared Ravi Shankaran, kin of Naval Chief Arun Prakash and an accused in the Navy War Room leak case, as a 'proclaimed offender' following his failure to appear before it.

The court also directed its order be published in newspapers in India as well as the United Kingdom, where Shankaran is suspected to be hiding.

Earlier, a non-bailable warrant (NBW) had been issued against Shankaran after he failed to appear before the CBI.

On May 12, a red corner notice had been issued against Shankaran by the Interpol on the request of the Indian authorities.

The CBI had also approached British authorities for Shakaran's deportation on the grounds that his passport had been revoked and an Interpol Red Corner Notice had been issued against him, which British authorities failed to carry out.

The government had on May one revoked Shankaran's passport after he failed to appear before the CBI despite several notices served at his office and residence in Mumbai.

His office in Mumbai 'Shanks Oceangraphic Private Limited' and that of Jennifer Mirza, who allegedly headed his front organisation in Goa, were raided by the CBI and several documents were recovered.

Former Navy Commander Kulbushan Parashar, arrested by the CBI on April 6 when he returned from the UK, had told the investigating ageney that he had met Shankaran in London.

A ''Look Out Notice'' against Shankaran by the CBI had already been issued to all airports, railway stations, major ports and bus terminals along with a note stating that he be arrested immediately.

The CBI had registered a case on March 20 against former IAF Wing Commander Sambhaji Rao Surve, Shankaran, ex-Navy Commanders Vinod Kumar Jha and Vinod Rana, Raj Rani Jaiswal, was who allegedly used in the ''honey-trap'' for the defence personnel, Mukesh Bajaj, Wing Commander (retd) SK Kohli, Kashyap Kumar and former Navy Commander Kulbushan Parashar in connection with the case. While Surve, Jha, Rana, Parashar, Jaiswal and Bajaj were arrested by the CBI, Kohli and Parashar joined the investigation on their own.

The case against all the nine people has been registered under various sections of the Official Secrets Act and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, which relates to criminal conspiracy.

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