A Delhi court on Monday refused to pass any order on the plea of diplomat Madhuri Gupta, arrested on charges of passing sensitive information to Pakistani intelligence officials, alleging harassment by jail authorities.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja disposed of the application filed by Gupta after the prison authorities claimed that they were not indulging in any kind of harassment and were only carrying out routine searches in her ward.
"We routinely conduct searches in the ward where the officer is lodged. These searches are carried out as per the instruction of the Delhi High Court and the Ministry of Home Affairs to prevent the use of mobiles in the prison," the jail Superintendent said.
Tihar jail official further submitted that the authorities were seeking help of Gupta to educate other inmates against the use of mobile phones in the prison.
"Despite strict surveillance and vigilance by jail authorities, some inmates are smuggling mobiles inside the jail by hiding the instrument," they said, claiming that the search on the night of June 30 was done to strengthen prison security.
Earlier, advocate Joginder Dahiya, appearing for Gupta, alleged that she was being harassed by jail staff who were threatening to implicate her in false cases.
Dahiya submitted that he did not want to press charges in light of the stand of the jail authorities and the court disposed of Gupta's application.
The court had on July 9 sought response of the jail authorities on the plea of the woman officer alleging that she was being harassed by them.
Delhi Police, which had arrested Gupta on April 22 after she was called from Islamabad where she was posted as Second Secretary in the Press and Information wing, is likely to file a charge sheet in the case registered against her after July 20. Gupta is in judicial custody till July 20.
She is facing charges for allegedly violating the Official Secrets Act. She had come under the scanner after she showed "extraordinary" interest in areas beyond her role in the information wing of the mission.
Central security agencies had then briefed senior MEA officials about her activities in Pakistan which included allegedly supplying sensitive and classified documents related to Indian activities in that country and Afghanistan.
A promotee officer of Ministry of External Affairs, Gupta wored in the Mission for nearly three years.
She was well-versed in Urdu and her services were utilised for translation and interpretation. Earlier, she was posted in the Indian Mission in Kuala Lumpur and worked with 'India Perspective', a magazine of the External Publicity wing of MEA. PTI
