New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) A Delhi court has directed a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to monitor the expeditious processing of sanction to prosecute Wing Commander Manorath Singh Sabharwal, who was arrested on allegations of sharing sensitive Indian Air Force (IAF) information with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
The Patiala House Court issued the direction after the prosecution informed it that the sanction under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as required under Section 217 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and sanction for offences under the Official Secrets Act were still pending.
Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Mridul Gupta directed the DCP concerned to monitor the process and file a report under his signature on the next date of hearing, taking into consideration the delay already caused in the matter.
The direction came after the defence counsel opposed the prosecution’s submission, highlighting the considerable delay in obtaining the requisite sanctions.
The accused’s counsel also questioned the necessity of obtaining sanction under the Official Secrets Act. After hearing the submissions, the court directed that a report on the progress of the sanction process be filed by the next date of hearing.
The court also ordered the issuance of production warrants against the accused for the next hearing and issued a show-cause notice to the Jail Superintendent over his non-production before the court on the day of proceedings.
The matter has been listed for further proceedings on December 5, while the court directed that the accused be produced through video conferencing every 14 days.
According to the police chargesheet, Sabharwal was found in contact with a Pakistani intelligence operative through a honeytrap between January and April 2026 and shared sensitive information concerning fighter aircraft deployment in Leh, military exercises at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Suratgarh and a confidential drone unit.
The police have further claimed that, at the instructions of the Pakistani operative, he installed malware or spyware on the mobile phones of five subordinate officers, potentially compromising sensitive data and official communications.
–IANS
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