New Delhi, April 09: Eight months after registering a case against a former senior officer of the Research and Analysis Wing, the CBI on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against him
for divulging "top secret" information in his book which alleged corruption in India's external intelligence agency.
Along with author Maj Gen (retd) V K Singh, the
publisher of the book -- India's external intelligence,
Secrets of RAW -- Vivek Garg has also been named in the
chargesheet which was filed under two different sections of
the Officials Secrets Act, 1923, in the court of Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate here.
The chargesheet was filed after Union Home Ministry
vetted the findings of the CBI probe.
The 63-year-old Singh and Manas Publication have been
accused of wrongful communication of information and allegedly
indulging in activities prejudicial to the safety or interests
of the nation.
According to CBI sources, the book contains nearly six
to eight pages of "critical information", some of which were
even "top secret".
The book, according to sources, also allegedly carried
certain paragraphs of a "top secret" document regarding RAW
prepared in 2001 by a group of ministers, which was formed to
look into the national security issues, post Kargil war.
Sources said the document was not even supposed to be
tabled in the Parliament and was meant only for internal
circulation among the then top brass, which Singh was also
part of.
Singh was on deputation from the army to RAW from 2000
till his retirement in 2004.
The CBI along with the chargesheet also submitted
statements of RAW officials stating that the information used
by Singh in his book were of classified nature but has no
other documents to suggest it, the sources said.
The CBI had filed the case in September last year, three
months after his book hit the stands.
Sources close to Singh allege that the book exposes
corruption in RAW and it is a case of harassing a
whistle-blower.
The soldier-turned-author, in his book spoke about
alleged political interference and corruption in the
intelligence agency, including one relating to purchase of
sub-standard telecom equipment meant for VVIP security.
While agreeing to the author's right to question
corruption in various dealings, CBI sources said the book
revealed "a lot of secret information" regarding configuration
and location of various RAW systems and also an insight into
the functioning of RAW.
The former RAW official has claimed that he had used all
the information that was available on the internet.
Singh's book claimed serious lapses by the government
which facilitated the escape of senior RAW officer Ravinder
Singh, who is believed to have fled to the US after he was
found spying for a foreign organisation.
It also questioned the wisdom of the previous NDA
government in releasing to then Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif
a taped conversation between Pervez Musharraf and senior Army
Officer Gen Mohammed Aziz during the Kargil conflict.
The Cabinet Secretariat, the public face of RAW, had
been seeking legal advice on banning Singh's book. However,
after failing to find any legal provisions under which action
could be taken against Singh, it decided to file a complaint
against him, sources said.
Bureau Report