The Gujarat High Court has denied bail to a former ISRO officer accused of cyber terrorism for sharing sensitive information with a woman in Pakistan. The officer was previously arrested under Section 66 F(1)(B) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Gujarat: Recently, The Gujarat High Court has denied bail to a former technical officer of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who stands accused of sharing sensitive information with a woman in Pakistan. The officer was arrested under Section 66 F(1)(B) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 by the Ahmedabad Anti-Terrorism Police Station last year on charges of cyber terrorism.
A bench comprising Justice MR Mengdey presided over the case, noting the officer’s previous withdrawal of a bail application. The earlier application was withdrawn with the provision to reapply after six months in the event of trial delays.
Justice Mengdey highlighted-
“The trial for the offense has started, with the prosecution having already examined several witnesses. Thus, there have been no changes in circumstances since the previous bail application was submitted.”
Senior Advocate Shalin Mehta, representing the Applicant, and Advocate JK Shah, representing the Respondent, presented their arguments before the court. Advocate Mehta argued that the information shared by the officer was not classified as secret or sensitive. He cited a communication from the Space Applications Centre which stated that the shared data did not pertain to national security or intellectual property.
Mehta emphasized-
“The applicant, who had a distinguished 17-year career with ISRO, asserted that he was unaware the recipient of the photographs was in Pakistan.”
However, the court observed that the communication from the Space Applications Centre was already available during the time of the previous bail application.
ALSO READ: Delhi High Court Deems Sextortion a Major Social Threat
Justice Mengdey remarked-
“This evidence will be presented before the trial court, which will assess it alongside other available materials on record. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for this court to make any observations on this matter, given that the trial is already underway.”
The High Court’s decision underscores the gravity of the charges against the former ISRO officer and reflects the judicial caution exercised in cases involving national security. The ongoing trial and the examination of several witnesses by the prosecution suggest that the court is committed to a thorough investigation and adjudication of the case.
The court has denied bail to an accused involved in the alleged data leak from the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Ahmedabad. The accused, who was implicated in forwarding sensitive files and images to a contact in Pakistan, faced a setback as the court highlighted several crucial factors that influenced its decision.
The court’s decision emphasized the gravity of the allegations against the accused. According to the prosecution, the accused had forwarded files and images from the SAC to a woman based in Pakistan. These files and images were reportedly taken without any authorization from the relevant authorities at the SAC.
The court noted-
“Nevertheless, upon reviewing the entire communication, it becomes apparent that the files/images forwarded by the applicant to a woman based in Pakistan pertained to the Space Applications Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad. These images were captured by the applicant without authorization from the authorities of the Space Applications Centre, and no permission had been sought for their dissemination.”
In its detailed order, the court elaborated on the reasons for denying bail to the accused. The primary consideration was the ongoing trial and the seriousness of the charges. The court remarked-
“Therefore, it is deemed appropriate to leave its consideration to the trial court.”
This indicates that the trial court is deemed the proper forum to thoroughly examine the evidence and the circumstances surrounding the case.
ALSO READ: Police verification of SIM dealers
The court further concluded that there was insufficient reason to grant bail at this stage. Given the allegations that the accused had taken and forwarded the pictures without authorization, the court found that the gravity of the charges warranted a more cautious approach.
The court stated-
“Considering the ongoing trial and the allegation of unauthorized picture-taking, the court concluded that there were insufficient grounds to grant bail.”
The accused’s defense team may still have options to challenge the bail denial in higher courts. However, for now, the accused remains in custody as the trial proceeds.
Case Title:
Kalpeshkumar Babubhai Turi v. State of Gujarat
