Defence Ministry files OSA violation complaint with CBI

The CBI is going through the complaint and might soon register the case for alleged violation of the Officials Secrets Act which may involve Verma, agency sources said.

The sources said Defence Ministry has not named Verma in its complaint and has requested the CBI to probe the alleged "leakage of the secret documents".

The agency is, however, taking legal opinion on the alleged involvement of Verma as documents were not recovered from his possession but were provided by a third person, they said.

The CBI after registering the case is likely to probe senior ministry officials and retired defence personnel who are under the agency's scanner for their alleged relations with Verma and other arms supplier lobbyists.

US-based attorney C Edmond Allen, who was a business associate of Verma, had provided documents which deal with acquisition and future plans of the defence forces to CBI and other investigating agencies, alleging that these were provided by Verma to show his influence in defence circles.

The Defence Ministry had already provided the agency with the list of nearly seven documents which it found to be coming under the definition of secret under the OSA.

However, the agency was waiting for a formal complaint from the Ministry to ascertain whether the 'secret' documents were in public domain or not because it felt that some of them could have been provided to defence manufacturers. More