Ex-commander held after raids

NEW DELHI: Yet another former naval officer was caught in the CBI net in connection with the sensational war-room leak case. Commander J C Kalra was picked up by the agency on Friday on charges of leaking classified information that affected national security. He is the ninth person to be arrested by the CBI.

Kalra, who voluntarily retired this January, was posted in the maritime force’s procurement board. He has been accused of supplying sensitive documents to certain persons for monetary benefits, the sources said.

Kalra, currently working as deputy general manager (customer relations) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, was arrested from SCOPE complex in south Delhi after the CBI claimed to have found some sensitive documents at his residence in Noida. The arrest followed searches at his residence and office early on Friday morning.

Kalra’s name surfaced during the interrogation of former navy captain Salam Singh Rathore, who was arrested by the CBI on November 3 for alleged violation of the Officials Secrets Act. Rathore, who was deputy director of the Naval procurement board at the time of the war room leak, too had sought voluntary retirement in 2005 and was a course-mate of Kalra.

Others who have been arrested by the CBI include retired defence officials like naval officer Kulbushan Parashar and IAF wing commander S L Surve and Delhi-based businessman Abhishek Verma.

An Interpol red corner notice has also been issued at the behest of CBI against Ravi Shankaran, kin of former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash, and his property has been confiscated. Shankaran is believed to be in Britain. The CBI has filed two chargesheets in the case so far.