Journalist gets bail in espionage case

The Delhi high court on Friday granted bail to freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe linked to alleged supply of sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers.

ED arrested Sharma under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on July 1, 2021.

The ED case is based on a Delhi Police FIR filed under the Official Secrets Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Sharma in 2020. The journalist was arrested by the special cell of the Delhi Police on September 14, 2020 and charged with passing on information about the Indian Army’s deployment and the country’s border strategy to Chinese intelligence officers. He was granted bail by the Delhi High Court in the case in December 2020.

Justice Mukta Gupta, while granting bail, rejected the arguments of the ED counsel that Sharma has links with “Chinese handlers” and intelligence agencies and is a “serious flight risk”. The court said the accused is an Indian citizen and his wife is also an Indian, and has roots in society.

The court also asked Sharma to furnish a personal bond of ₹5 lakh with two sureties of the same amount. It asked the accused to surrender his passport and not leave the country without the permission of the court.