Spying case: Police for harsher charges against Madhuri Gupta

New Delhi: The city police today moved the Delhi High Court asking for a  stringent spying charge, entailing a 14-year jail term, on suspended Indian diplomat Madhuri Gupta in place of the milder one framed by the trial court (three years). In a petition to the court, the Special Cell of Delhi Police sought modification of the trial court order and sought framing of charges under sections 3 (1) (Part-I) of the Officials Secret (OS) Act, carrying a 14-year jail term. In its plea, the police said the information passed by Gupta to her Pakistani links through e-mails pertained to the country’s defence and compromised national security, while the trial court has framed charges against her under Section 3 (1) (Part-II) of the OS Act, carrying a mere a three-year jail term on conviction. [caption id=“attachment_302887” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“The Delhi Police has sought a stringent jail term for Gupta. PTI”]  [/caption] On the police plea, Justice Pratibha Rani issued a notice to Gupta, presently out on bail, and sought her reply by 24 September. On 7 January, the trial court had charged Gupta under milder sections of the OS Act, allegedly for spying and supplying information to an ISI agent during her tenure in Islamabad. Gupta, 55, has already spent over 21 months behind bars after her arrest on 22 April 2010 by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. She was posted as Second Secretary (Press & Information) at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. According to the charge sheet filed in July 2010 against her, Gupta revealed certain classified information to Pakistani officials and was in touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed. It added that she was involved in a relationship with Jamshed, whom she planned to marry. She used to communicate with Jamshed under a code name ‘Jim’. The chargesheet said the diplomat used a computer installed at her residence in Islamabad and a BlackBerry phone to be in touch with the two Pakistani spies. Gupta had refuted all the allegations levelled against her. PTI