Grave & Serious Allegations: Punjab & Haryana HC Dismisses Bail Petition Of Defence Personnel Accused Of Sending Sensitive Information To Pakistan
|The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a bail petition under Official Secrets Act, 1923 against the petitioner for allegedly forwarding sensitive military information across the border to Pakistan.
Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul observed, “Prima facie there are very grave, serious and specific allegations against the petitioner of having supplied critical information and photographs pertaining to various army installations to the co-accused who in turn supplied it to Pakistan for which they all received money. In the aforementioned facts and circumstances, the petitioner does not deserve the concession of regular bail”.
A Petition was filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking bail under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 against an FIR lodged under Sections 21(b) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and Sections 3, 5 and 9 of Official Secret Act, 1923 and Sections 120-B and 124-A of the Indian Penal Code.
Advocate Nagar Singh, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, alleged that the petitioner was a defence personnel indicted in a false case based on a disclosure statement of the co-accused. Senior Deputy Attorney General Amit Rana appeared on behalf of the respondents/State.
The High Court observed that the prima facie evidence against the petitioner was serious and specific.
Accordingly, the Court dismissed the petition
Cause Title: Harpreet Singh @ Happy v. State of Punjab [Neutral Citation No:=2023:PHHC:084369]