Vivek Raghuvanshi, a freelance journalist, and Ashish Pathak, a former navy commander, have both been detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with, among other things, the gathering of secret material on the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Delhi Police Special Cell's prior case had been transferred to the CBI.
The Delhi Police registered the case in September 2022, while the CBI FIR was filed in December 2002. With consideration for the "gravity and sensitivity" of the issue, the home ministry moved the case to CBI.
The FIR claims that "one journalist is involved in the illegal collection of sensitive information," including "sensitive details about future procurement of the Indian armed forces that reveal the strategic preparedness of our country" and "minute details of the DRDO projects and their progress." The FIR further claimed that "the classified communication relating to national security and details of India's strategic and diplomatic talks with our friendly countries, which can damage bilateral relations of India with them," had been shared with foreign intelligence services.
Some Indian journalists are allegedly involved in an international network that exchanges the aforementioned strategic and secret information with intelligence services of adversarial nations. Following the filing of an FIR against Vivek Raghuvanshi, the CBI searched locations connected to the independent journalist on Tuesday. covering the website, Vivek describes himself as the India correspondent for a US-based portal covering defense and strategic issues. Both Raghuvanshi and former Navy captain Ashish Pathak have been charged by the CBI with violating Sections 3 (spying) of the Official Secrets Act and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
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