NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has firmly refused bail to a man accused of facilitating the transmission of sensitive and classified Indian Army information to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, citing the gravity of the alleged offence as a threat to the nation’s sovereignty and security.
In a detailed judgment on May 22, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the bail application filed by Mohsin Khan, observing that the case involves serious allegations that strike at the heart of national security.
The Court asserted that such acts cannot be viewed as routine crimes, but must instead be recognised as offences against the very fabric of the nation. “The offence in question is not merely one against a particular individual, institution, or group,” the Court remarked, “but is an offence against the integrity, sovereignty, and security of Bharat.”
The judge further emphasised that cases involving espionage and the sharing of military intelligence with foreign entities must be approached with an elevated threshold for granting bail. Khan, who reportedly worked as a scrap dealer and operated a mobile repair and recharge shop in the national capital, has been accused of playing a key role in an espionage syndicate with transnational links.
According to the prosecution, he acted as a conduit for funds and information on behalf of an officer from the Pakistani High Commission.
The syndicate allegedly funnelled sensitive defence intelligence, sourced from a soldier stationed in Pokhran — one of India’s critical military zones — named Paramjeet Kumar. The prosecution claimed that Khan facilitated the unauthorised transmission of classified military data and financial transactions as part of a broader plot to undermine Indian defence interests. The case has raised alarm due to its implications for India’s national security apparatus and the risk of internal vulnerabilities being exploited by foreign actors.
Khan’s counsel, however, sought to downplay the allegations, contending that his client was an unwitting participant dragged into the matter due to his involvement in commercial transactions such as mobile phone recharges and money transfers. His lawyer insisted that there is no direct or credible evidence linking Khan to the core activities of the conspiracy and suggested that he had been falsely implicated.
While the Court acknowledged that Khan has been in judicial custody for nearly four years, it reiterated that prolonged incarceration alone cannot justify bail in cases that involve threats to national integrity.