Naval War Room leak: CBI attaches Ravi Shankaran's properties

New Delhi, Sep 19 (UNI) The CBI today attached the properties and froze the bank account of Ravi Shankaran, one of the prime accused in the Naval War Room leak case and a kin of Naval Chief Arun Prakash, in Goa and Pune after he failed to appear before the investigative agency for several months.

Shankaran's factory premises in Salcette, South Goa, 'M/S Shanx Oceaneering Pvt Ltd', and his Mercedes car in Pune were attached after the CBI got a 'warrant of attachment' issued yesterday, said the agency spokesman here.

''The 'warrant of attachment' was issued after Shankaran failed to appear before the CBI for questioning within 30 days of him being declared a 'proclaimed offender'.'' The court, in its September 12 order, had, however, disallowed attachment of properties which were jointly in the name of Shankaran and his family members, he said.

''A CBI team has reached Goa and Pune and the order are being carried out in concurrance with the district officials concerned.

After the properties are sealed, the CBI will be their custodian.'' In today's 'operation' the Mercedes car could not be found, though documents related to it were in possession of the CBI ever since it raided the premises of the accused in April this year.

''Efforts are on to trace the car.'' A bank account in HSBC in the name of 'M/S Besix India', a propriety firm belonging to Ravi Shankaran, was also frozen, he added.

Earlier, when the CBI tried to contact Ravi Shankaran in connection with the alleged leak of sensitive documents from the Naval War Room, and he failed to appear before it, a non-bailable warrant and a 'Red Corner Notice' were issued for him.

Even after this when Shankaran evaded the probe agency, he was declared a 'proclaimed offender'.

Even as nine people were made accused in the 'leak' case and five arrested, Shankaran had managed to 'escape' to London following framing of the charges in July this year.

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