HC directs release of Chinese woman on bail in espionage case

The Delhi High Court directed the release of a Chinese woman on bail in an espionage case involving freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the release of a Chinese woman on bail in an espionage case involving freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma. Justice Yogesh Khanna set aside a sessions court order overturning the grant of bail by a magisterial court and directed Qing Shi to surrender her passport to the investigating officer of Delhi Police and furnish a personal bond and surety of Rs one lakh each.

The court said that Shi was entitled to grant statutory bail when admittedly the charge sheet was filed beyond the period of sixty days. The other bail conditions include Shi not leaving the country without the permission of the trial court, furnishing her contact details/address to the investigating officer and making a video call to him in the first week of every month as well as keeping her mobile location app open at all times.

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“The petition is allowed. Consequently, the impugned order dated December 16, 2020, passed by the learned Appellate Court in Criminal Revision No.65/2020 is set aside. 'The petitioner be released from Prison on her furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs one lakh with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the learned Trial Court /Duty Magistrate,” the judge ordered.

Rajeev Sharma was arrested on September 14 last year by the Special Cell based on Indian intelligence inputs, and police allegedly seized some defence classified documents from his house. Shi was subsequently arrested along with her Nepalese associate and has been in judicial custody since September last year. The FIR is the case alleges the commission of offenses under the Official Secrets Act.

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(PTI)