CBI charges 6 including Navy commander, retired officers for leaking submarine information

They were charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.

"The accused had been passing on confidential commercial information on the Medium Refit Life Certification or MRLC programme of India's Kilo Class submarines to 'unauthorised people for illegal gratification'," NDTV quoting the CBI said.

The case surfaced after the CBI arrested retired Navy officers Randeep Singh and SJ Singh on Sept 3.

The first chargesheet has been filed against these two officers.

The second chargesheet named three directors of a Hyderabad-based company including its executive director.

Thereafter, the CBI conducted searches at the property of Commodore Randeep Singh (retired) which led to the recovery of around Rs. 2 crore in cash, NDTV quoting sources reported.

Based on the probe, the CBI then arrested Commander Ajit Kumar Pandey, who is posted at the Western Naval Command headquarters.

Another Commander, who was working under Commander Pandey and posted at the same headquarters, was also arrested.

According to the CBI, both these serving commanders had been passing on confidential commercial information about the refit of the Kilo Class Submarines to retired Navy officers, working for foreign companies.

The CBI decided to file the chargesheet on Tuesday to prevent the arrested accused from getting default bail. "Further investigation is on," a CBI source told NDTV.

As the case concerns national security, the CBI has not even made the FIR filed on Sept 2 public. The investigation is being handled discreetly at the highest level in the CBI.