Chargesheet under OSA against V K Singh soon

As of now, the only point of speculation was whether Vikas Garg of Manas Publications, the publisher of Singh’s book, would also be named as a violator of the OSA or not.

Significantly, this might well be one of the last cases to be chargesheeted under the current provisions of the OSA, as the MHA is finalising a list of amendments to make it compatible with the transparency regime ushered in by the Right To Information Act, 2005.

The expedited action comes amid speculation that the OSA case against Singh was actually falling flat and that the R&AW had not given the CBI sufficient documentation to take the case forward. Sources said the CBI, after lodging its FIR in the case, had given the R&AW a lengthy list of “requirements”—including authentication and classification of documents referred to in the book—which was only partly responded to. “However, what the R&AW gave us was sufficient for our case. Under the current provisions of the OSA, if we can establish Singh used even a single classified document for purposes of his book, it is enough,” said a senior official.

The CBI had been asked to book Singh under the OSA after the release of his book India’s External Intelligence: Secrets of the Research and Analysis Wing.

In September 2007, CBI had booked Singh under the OSA and thereafter raided his residence and carried away documents and his personal computer, which was later sent for forensic examination. In December 2007, Garg was also raided. The CBI had asked for an in-camera trial in the case.