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A Delhi court on Friday dismissed a bail application of Indian junior diplomat Madhuri Gupta, arrested for allegedly passing classified information to Pakistan's intelligence officials. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja refused to grant any relief to Gupta saying that the charges against her were grave in nature.
53-year-old Gupta was arrested on April 22 from Delhi on her arrival from Pakistan following a complaint filed against her with Delhi Police's Special Cell by Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Ashok Tomar. The complaint had alleged that the woman officer posted at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad was having unauthorised contacts with intelligence officials of the neighbouring country. It had accused her of passing secret and classified information to her contacts. In her bail plea, Gupta, facing charges under the Official Secrets Act, had submitted that she was not required anymore for the purpose of investigation. She had also claimed that there was no likelihood of her absconding from the process of law as she is a permanent resident of Delhi. Arguing her bail application, her counsel Joginder Dahiya referred to a statement made by Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur on April 29 in Parliament and said that she was posted in the information wing of the mission and had no access to any classified documents. The counsel also submitted that Gupta was a chronic patient of blood pressure and had high sugar level.
Additional Public Prosecutor Rita Sharma opposed the bail application on the ground that some officials were yet to be examined by the investigators with regard to the case registered against her. She also submitted that the computers seized from Gupta has been sent for forensic examination and the reports were still awaited. A promotee officer in the External Affairs Ministry, Gupta was working in the mission for nearly three years. She was well-versed in Urdu and her services had been utilised for translation and interpretation. Earlier, she had been posted in the Indian mission in Kuala Lumpur and had worked with 'India Perspective', a magazine of the External Publicity wing of MEA.