NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has ordered the release of a Chinese woman on bail in an espionage case involving freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma.
Justice Yogesh Khanna on Wednesday 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 1 lakh each. The court said that Shi was entitled to grant of 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.
“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 1 lakh with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the learned trial court /duty magistrate,” the judge further ordered.
FIR alleges violation of Official Secrets Act
Rajeev Sharma was arrested last year by the Special Cell based on intelligence inputs. Shi was subsequently arrested along with her Nepalese associate and has been in judicial custody since September last year. The FIR alleges offences under the Official Secrets Act