Four accused in French spying case to be prosecuted
D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram
The four people, whose names have been approved by the Government
of India for prosecution in the French ocean survey espionage
case, include two French nationals.
The home ministry's sanction submitted before a division bench
of the Kerala high court by the federal government's standing
counsel on Monday did not contain the names and nationality of
the people to be prosecuted.
However, highly placed sources told Rediff On The Net that
the federal government has cleared prosecution of two French citizens
and two Indians. In, all seven people, including five French nationals
and a Madagascar citizen were arrested in connection with the
case.
They were Captain Francisco Jean Clavell, Ghilippe Thierry Retic,
Pierre Huouesileaune, H Marie Valacheet, Thierry Andre Proust
and Mathew Vincent. A Goan, Captain Savio Mario Menino Desilva
Furtrado, was among the seven arrested.
Furtrado was the local contact for the French and was known to
Professor K V Thomas, who represented Ernakulam in the Lok Sabha.
The seven were caught by the Kerala police on January 11, 1996,
while carrying out a survey off Kochi without any authorisation
from the official agencies.
Subsequent investigation of the case by the Central Bureau of
Investigation reportedly revealed that the survey was intended
to gather information regarding India's naval operations in the
southern command.
The arrested had initially maintained that the survey was aimed
at establishing an aquaculture unit in Kerala. Later they changed
their version and said it was intended to unearth a wrecked ship.
Besides the seven arrested the CBI also reportedly found involvement
of the locals in the case.
The Cochin Niymavedi, an organisation of lawyers pursuing the
case in the high court, has termed the federal government's decision
to prosecute only four "bewildering".
Niymavedi president A X Varghese has alleged that the government's
attitude smacks of a compromise and promises that the Niymavedi
would challenge the government decision if it is found to be biased.
The Niymavedi, he said, would once again approach the court if sufficient
reasons were not shown for exonerating some of those involved
in the case.
The organisation had first approached the high court for a direction
to the CBI for expeditious investigation of the case. The high
court had passed a direction to the CBI on August 14, 1996, to
complete the investigation within three months. On failure to
complete the investigation within the stipulated time, the Niymavedi
had preferred a contempt of court case.
The proceedings on the case was closed by the high court on submission
of federal sanction.
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