Trial in Madhuri Gupta spying case to begin tomorrow

The trial in the suspended Indian diplomat Madhuri Gupta spying case is set to begin tomorrow after a Delhi court charged her under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly supplying classified informations to an ISI agent during her posting in Islamabad.

The trial in the suspended Indian diplomat Madhuri Gupta spying case is set to begin tomorrow after a Delhi court charged her under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly supplying classified informations to an ISI agent during her posting in Islamabad.

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Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Jain would begin recording the statements of prosecution witnesses against Gupta, 55, who is out on bail.

Gupta, who was posted as Second Secretary (Press and Information) in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was arrested on April 22, 2010, by the Special Cell of Delhi Police and charged with leaking India's classified and defence-related information to ISI.

On January 7, she was charged under Section 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act for the lighter offences entailing maximum three year jail term, for allegedly supplying the country's information (not related to work of defence) to an ISI agent during her Islamabad posting.

While framing the charges, the court held the information leaked by Gupta did not fall under the category of work of defence, as opposed to the prosecution's case.

She was also charged with the breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and various other provisions of the Official Secrets Act.

Under Section 3 of the Act, passing information relating to defence carries a maximum jail term of 14 years while leaking information, not related to defence, carries a jail term of three years.