Tribunal dismisses pleas of two Navy war-room leak accused

The Armed Forces Tribunal on Wednesday rejected the pleas by two former naval officers, accused in the Navy war-room leak case, for reinstatement in service.

Commander Vijender Rana and Commander Vinod Kumar Jha had filed a plea contending that their dismissal from service was "illegal" and sought to be reinstated in the Navy.

The Tribunal did not find any merit in their pleas and dismissed these.

The two officers, arrested by CBI under Official Secrets Act, are at present lodged in Tihar Jail.

Nine persons including former IAF Wing Commander Sambhaji Rao Surve, ex Naval Commanders Vinod Kumar Jha, Vinod Rana and Ravi Shankaran were charged for leaking secrets from Navy's war room.

After the matter came to light, Navy constituted a Board of Inquiry to into it and Captain Kashyap Kumar (former director of Naval Operations), Commander V Rana and V K Jha were found guilty by it and were dismissed from service.