Shankaran extradition likely in War Room Leak case

Delivering its order on Monday, the Westminster Magistrate court district accepted the evidence submitted by the Crown Prosecution Services on behalf of India for extradition of 46-year-old Shankaran, CBI said here today. The court will also take up other related matters on December 30, the agency said.

Shankaran, kin of former Naval Chief Arun Prakash, was arrested in London in May last year on the basis of an Interpol Red Corner notice secured against him by the CBI which has pressed for his early extradition to India.

A retired Naval Commander, Shankaran was accused of smuggling sensitive classified information out of the Navy War Room and passing them to arms dealers.

The CBI had despatched a two-member team to London to assist British law officers in the extradition trial. It also furnished a 50-page reply to objections raised by the defence on emails submitted as evidence in the court. Among other issues to be decided by the London court on December 30 were the human rights issue and prison conditions in India as raked up by Shankaran in his plea.