Spotted: Navy war room leak accused in Europe

Ravi Shankaran, a kin of former naval chief Admiral Arun Prakash who is the key accused in the war room leak case, has been spotted in Europe and the Central Bureau of Investigation has stepped up efforts to bring him to India to face trial.

Refusing to give a direct reply to a question whether Shankaran, declared a proclaimed offender by a court in New Delhi, had slipped out of Britain, a senior CBI official said on Wednesday that he was 'somewhere in Europe and we will get him soon.'

Asked whether a fresh letter rogatory was needed to bring Shankaran back, the official said, "We do not require anything now and will soon bring him back to face trial here."

Shankaran, who has been chargesheeted by the CBI, has not returned to Britain from where he fled after an arrest warrant was issued against him by an additional district judge in that country on April 10.

Though there was no official confirmation, sources in the CBI claimed that Shankaran, against whom an Interpol Red Corner Notice was issued last year, is believed to be in France, a country he often visited for business purposes.

CBI officials said they were confident of getting Shankaran extradited to India and termed his 'vanishing act' as a temporary phase till the law caught up with him.

The agency is preparing a request for Shankaran's extradition after Britain's home department routed a request to the CBI through the external affairs ministry that India should formally seek his extradition.      

Shankaran is wanted by the CBI for alleged leaks of classified data, including the navy's acquisition plans and other sensitive material, from the war room or directorate of naval operations.