Navy War Room Leak Case: Abhishek Verma's Ex-Business Partner Moves Court

A former business partner of arms dealer Abhishek Verma, accused in the 2006 Naval War Room leak case, has moved a Delhi court to direct ED to file a report on the probe into the PMLA case allegedly involving him.

C Edmond Allen, who is also a lawyer by profession and a US citizen, filed the application before Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal for direction to the Enforcement Directorate to submit a status report on the investigation into money laundering crime allegedly committed by Mr Verma by using American Express cards in 2004-06 and later paying his bail sureties via Hawala channel in 2008.

The court fixed the plea for hearing on April 17.

The application, filed through advocate Harshvardhan Jha, also sought a status report of the probe into Allen's June, 2012 complaint in which he had alleged that Mr Verma had paid his bail money in the Naval war room leak case via Hawala channel from Mauritius through one of the close associates of Mr Verma.

It said that Mr Verma was granted bail by the Delhi High Court in June, 2008 and it was upheld by the Supreme Court in May, 2009. The plea alleged when Mr Verma came to know about Allen's complaint to CBI, he withdrew his bail surety fearing it would be seized and was sent to judicial custody for non- payment of his bail bond.

The money laundering case against Mr Verma is pending before a different court.

In the CBI case, also allegedly involving four former Naval officers, the court is recording prosecution evidence.

Former naval officer Kulbhushan Prashar, former commander Vijender Rana, sacked naval commander V K Jha, former IAF Wing Commander Sambha Jee L Surve and Delhi-based businessman Verma are facing trial in the case for the offence of criminal conspiracy under IPC and under various provisions of Official Secrets Act (OSA).

All the accused are out on bail in the case. Meanwhile, the court is also scheduled to hear arguments on another plea by Allen seeking cancellation of Mr Verma's bail.

The 2006 Navy War Room leak case involves leakage of over 7,000 pages of sensitive defence information from the Naval War Room and the Air Headquarters, having a direct bearing on national security.

The court had earlier framed charges after the five accused pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. Prime accused Ravi Shankaran is still absconding and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the court.