New Delhi: A Delhi court today refused to
pass any order on the plea of diplomat Madhuri Gupta, arrested
on charges of passing sensitive information to Pakistani
intelligence officials, alleging harassment by jail
authorities.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja disposed
of the application filed by Gupta after the prison authorities
claimed that they were not indulging in any kind of harassment
and were only carrying out routine searches in her ward.
"We routinely conduct searches in the ward where the
officer is lodged. These searches are carried out as per the
instruction of the Delhi High Court and the Ministry of Home
Affairs to prevent the use of mobiles in the prison," the jail
Superintendent said.
Tihar jail official further submitted that the
authorities were seeking help of Gupta to educate other
inmates against the use of mobile phones in the prison.
"Despite strict surveillance and vigilance by jail
authorities, some inmates are smuggling mobiles inside the
jail by hiding the instrument," they said, claiming that the
search on the night of June 30 was done to strengthen prison
security.
Earlier, advocate Joginder Dahiya, appearing for
Gupta, alleged that she was being harassed by jail staff who
were threatening to implicate her in false cases.
Dahiya submitted that he did not want to press charges
in light of the stand of the jail authorities and the court
disposed of Gupta`s application.
The court had on July 9 sought response of the jail
authorities on the plea of the woman officer alleging that she
was being harassed by them.
Delhi Police, which had arrested Gupta on April 22
after she was called from Islamabad where she was posted as
Second Secretary in the Press and Information wing, is likely
to file a charge sheet in the case registered against her
after July 20.
Gupta is in judicial custody till July 20. She is
facing charges for allegedly violating the Official Secrets
Act.
She had come under the scanner after she showed
"extraordinary" interest in areas beyond her role in the
information wing of the mission.
Central security agencies had then briefed senior MEA
officials about her activities in Pakistan which included
allegedly supplying sensitive and classified documents related
to Indian activities in that country and Afghanistan.
A promotee officer of Ministry of External Affairs,
Gupta wored in the Mission for nearly three years.
She was well-versed in Urdu and her services were
utilised for translation and interpretation. Earlier, she was
posted in the Indian Mission in Kuala Lumpur and worked with
`India Perspective`, a magazine of the External Publicity wing
of MEA.
PTI
