HC grants bail to man accused of passing information to Pakistan

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to a primary school teacher who was arrested in 2015 for being part of a “network” involved in alleged anti-national activities supported by Pakistan-based intelligence operatives.
According to the prosecution, the accused was involved in the process of collection of information regarding deployment of the Indian Army and the Border Security Force in Jammu and Kashmir, and passing the same to persons across the border, thus endangering national security.
Justice Amit Sharma said the accused, who was facing trial under Official Secrets Act for serious and grave offences, satisfied the requirement of section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for bail after undergoing half the sentence provided for the offence he is charged with.
The court said although the prosecution made an assertion with regard to the likelihood of the accused affecting the security of the country and the chance of his absconding if released.