“Merely because the sting operation was done in a prohibited area would not automatically attract the provisions of Sections 3 and 7 of the Official Secrets Act,” said a Bombay High Court judge in the Anticipatory bail order of The Quint's reporter Poonam Agarwal.
The Judge granted anticipatory bail to Poonam and triple amputee war veteran Deepchand on 26 April and observed that “prima facie, at this stage, taking the prosecution case as it stands, it is doubtful whether any offence either under Section 306 or 500 of the Indian Penal Code or under Sections 3 and 7 of the Official Secrets Act, is attracted in the peculiar facts of this case.”
The police registered the case on March 27. Gunner Matthew featured in the sting operation video carried out by The Quint exposing the “Sahayak” system.
The sting operation was carried out on 7 February and an edited video was published at The Quint. Poonam, a veteran journalist, is credited with having conducted similar sting operations in the past. This one was aimed at exposing the practices followed by some of the officers in the Indian Army misusing the “Sahayak” system to the disadvantage of jawans.
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