Delhi court awards 3 years jail to ex-diplomat for spying for Pakistan's ISI

Former diplomat Madhuri Gupta, who had served at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, was sentenced to three years in jail on Saturday by a Delhi court which convicted her for passing on sensitive information to Pakistan’s ISI.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma gave her the maximum sentence for spying and wrongful communication of information protected under the law.

Gupta, who was the Second Secretary at the high commission (Press & Information), was held guilty on Friday under various provisions of the Official Secrets (OS) Act.

She has been granted bail by the court to allow to appeal against the ruling.

While convicting her, the court had said that the e-mails, "passed on by the accused were categorically sensitive information which could have been useful to the enemy country... and its secrecy was of utmost importance".

Gupta was convicted under Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act which attract a maxiumum sentence of three years and fine or both.

She was arrested on April 22, 2010 by the special cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly giving sensitive information to Pakistani officials and remaining in touch with two ISI officials, Mubshar Raza Rana and Jamshed.