Madhuri Gupta sent to 14-day judicial custody

Indian diplomat Madhuri Gupta, who was arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by a Delhi court on Saturday.

Talking to reporters, Joginder Dahiya, Madhuri''s lawyer, said: "Police had sought two days further custody, but the court declined it and sent her to judicial custody."

Gupta, a second secretary with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was arrested on April 23 after being called back by the Ministry of External Affairs for consultations related to the XVIth Saarc Summit.

Gupta, who was a specialist interpreter in Urdu, was posted in the media and information wing of the high commission.

After her arrest, intelligence sleuths grilled Gupta. On the same day, Pakistan distanced itself, saying that Gupta''s arrest was India''s internal matter.

A day later, Madhuri confessed to her crimes, saying that she did what she did to take revenge from some senior MEA officers.

Madhuri is likely to face charges under the Official Secrets Act of 1923, which says that any person charged with disclosing information likely to affect security of the State is punishable by law.