A London court has sought an explanation from the Indian government for the delay in seeking the extradition of naval war room leak accused Ravi Shankaran. The development comes at a time when the foreign ministry is under fire for delaying the extradition of Bhopal gas tragedy accused Warren Anderson.
Shankaran was booked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in March 2006. But a formal extradition request was sent by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to the UK government in May 2007. The Indian government is learnt to have prepared a reply and it is being dispatched to the Indian mission in the UK.
Sources told DNA that the reply, prepared by CBI, has sought to explain that there was no delay by India. DNA had exposed the war room leak case on July 31, 2005. The navy had discovered that serving and retired naval, air force, and army officers were involved in leaking classified information relating to the navy’s equipment procurement programme.
“We have followed the laid down procedure. It took a year,” said an officer connected with the probe.
The CBI had registered a case on March 20, 2006. “We found that Shankaran had left India in November 2005, much before the reference was received by the agency from the ministry of defence,” a CBI official said.
“To apprehend Shankaran, the look-out circular notice was issued to all immigration checkposts in India on April 10, 2006,” said a senior CBI official. Thereafter, a non-bailable warrant was issued by a trial court on April 21.
“As it was learnt that he was not in country a request for red corner notice was made in April 2006 and accordingly, it was issued by Interpol,” said a senior CBI officer. After this, the CBI made a request to the MEA to revoke Shankaran’s passport.
The request for a provisional arrest of the accused was sent to the UK by the MEA on May 9, 2006. A charge sheet was filed by CBI in the case against Shankaran and others on July 3, 2006. A trial court then issued proclamation order on June 17, 2006. It was published in The Times, London, on August 10, 2006.
Shankaran was declared a proclaimed offender on November 15, 2006.
“Arrest warrants against Ravi Shankaran were issued by a UK court on March 30, 2007 on the basis of our provisional arrest request,” said a senior CBI officer.
A formal extradition request was sent on April 13, 2007, which was reportedly forwarded to the Indian high commission in London on May 9, 2007.
