A Delhi court, after a gap of 25 years, allowed the CBI to go ahead with the criminal prosecution of a father-son duo and two other persons caught for trying to send secret defence reports to foreign companies.
Special CBI judge Pradeep Chaddah said there is a prima facie case against the accused to prosecute them under various provisions of the Official Secrets Act and allowed framing of charges against them.
“I hold that there does exist sufficient prima facie case against accused under section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy) and under section 3 and 5 (spying and wrongful communication) of Official Secrets Act. Let charge be framed accordingly,” the court said.
The case was registered by the CBI on April 17, 1987 after a complaint was received by it from a courier company that certain secret documents relating to the defence matters were being dispatched by the accused.
Courier company Trident Express made the complaint to the CBI that two packets were picked up for dispatch from a Central-Delhi based firm called M/s Willian Jacks, run by father-son duo and accused Krishan Kumar Jaojidia and Aditya Kumar Jajodia.
On opening the packet, the CBI officials found that secret information pertaining to trial report on battlefield Surveillance Radar of Indian Army were being sent to Marc De Saint Dennis, M/s Coprint, Paris.
The other packet was addressed to J.W.H. Weavers of Netherlands and contained draft letters with details of radar, flycatchers for detection and tracking of low level enemy aircraft.
Jajodias, as per the CBI, were engaged in procuringsecret reports on trial and recommendations of equipment to be inducted in Indian Army and dispatch it to foreign nations.