Delhi HC grants bail to freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma accused of passing sensitive documents to Chinese
In July last year, ED filed a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against him based on Delhi Police FIR.
FollowThe Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma in connection with a money laundering probe linked to alleged leakage and supply of sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 1, 2020, accused of snooping and anti-national activities.
Justice Mukta Gupta pronounced the order today after reserving the judgment on December 21, 2021.
In July last year, ED filed a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against him based on Delhi Police FIR.
Sharma’s counsel had earlier submitted that the alleged money laundering case arises out of a police case under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), in which he was released on default bail in 2020.
Earlier, he was arrested by the Delhi Police special cell on September 14, 2020 and was charged with passing on information about the Indian Army's deployment and the country's border strategy to Chinese intelligence.
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The ED said its probe found that 62-year-old Sharma “had supplied confidential and sensitive information to Chinese intelligence officers, in exchange for remuneration, thereby compromising the security and national interests of India”.
Since Sharma has enjoyed the proceeds of crime in various foreign countries through his foreign trips and expenses therein, the offence in the present case is an offence of cross border implications as well, it had argued, PTI reported.
It had also alleged that Sharma did not cooperate with the investigation and had miserably failed to establish even prima facie innocence at this stage under the money laundering law, the report added.
ED also stated that it was further revealed that cash for remuneration of Sharma and other unidentified persons was being generated through hawala means by Mahipalpur-based shell companies that were run by Chinese nationals namely Zhang Cheng alias Suraj, Zhang Lixia alias Usha, and Quing Shi along with a Nepali national Sher Singh alias Raj Bohara.
