Delhi court presses police to speed up sanction to prosecute IAF officer in espionage case

A court in New Delhi on Friday (November 13) directed a deputy commissioner of police (DCP) to speed up the processing of sanctions to prosecute an Indian Air Force officer in an espionage case. The accused, Wing Commander Manorath Singh Sabharwal, is alleged to have shared sensitive Air Force information with Pakistani intelligence operatives. Chief Judicial Magistrate Mridul Gupta asked the DCP concerned to personally monitor the process and file a report under his signature at the next hearing.

Two sanctions still pending

According to the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), the prosecution told the court that the sanction under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, required under Section 217 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the sanction under the Official Secrets Act were both still pending. Defence counsel opposed the prosecution's submissions, pointing to the considerable delay in obtaining the sanctions, and questioned whether a sanction under the Official Secrets Act was necessary at all. The court also issued production warrants for the accused and a show-cause notice to the jail superintendent, after the accused was not produced before the court on the day.

Chargesheet: honeytrap contact and leaked deployments

According to the police chargesheet, Sabharwal was in contact with a Pakistani intelligence operative through a honeytrap between January and April 2026, and shared sensitive information concerning fighter aircraft deployment in Leh, military exercises at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Suratgarh, and a confidential drone unit. The matter has been listed for further proceedings on December 5, and the court directed that the accused be produced through video conferencing every 14 days. The allegations have not been proven in court. (Sources: IANS; Daily Kiran.)