Court accepts charge sheet in documents leak case

A court on Monday took cognizance of the charge sheet filed against 13 accused in the case relating to the leak of documents from the petroleum ministry.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal accepted the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police in the case and directed them to supply related documents to the accused people.

The court posted the matter for next hearing for May 18. Police have formally charged 13 people under various sections dealing with cheating, forgery, trespass, theft, common intent and criminal conspiracy.

Delhi police told the court that they will file supplementary charge sheet in the case on the basis of further investigation.

The provisions of the stringent Official Secrets Act have not been invoked against the accused. Police have cited 42 prosecution witnesses in their 44-page charge sheet filed on Saturday.

Delhi Police also registered a first information report for the leak of classified documents related to various ministries, including those of petroleum and natural gas, on February 17.

Five corporate executives are among the accused in the case. They are RIL corporate affairs manager Shailesh Saxena, Jubilant Energy senior executive Subash Chandra, Essar deputy general manager Vinay Kumar, Reliance ADAG deputy general manager Rishi Anand, and Cairns India general manager K.K. Naik.

Former journalist Santanu Saikia, who now runs a web portal, and Prayas Jain, a Melbourne-based energy consultant were also booked in the case.

The other accused are Lalta Prasad, 36, and Rakesh Kumar, 30 -- both brothers and residents of Delhi, Rajkumar Chaubey, 39, a resident of Ghaziabad, government employees Asharam, 58, and Ishwar Singh, 56, and Virender Kumar, employed as a casual worker in the defence ministry.

Meanwhile, Saikia moved his bail application before Magistrate Khanagwal.

Additional Sessions Judge Raj Kapoor deferred the hearing on bail application of five corporate executives and Virender Kumar after the prosecution counsel sought more time to study the case file. The sessions court will hear the bail plea of six accused on Wednesday.