The extradition trial of Ravi Shankaran, the main accused in the Naval war-room leak case, started on Thursday with the prosecution, led by barrister John Hardy QC, presenting evidence in private. Forty-six-year-old Shankaran, a close relative of the then Naval Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, has faced an Interpol red corner notice since 2006.
He was arrested by the Metropolitan police on April 21 last year in London and has been fighting his extradition to India since then. The hearings of the case till now have been involved with procedural issues about the admissibility of evidence sent by the Indian government to facilitate the extradition.
District judge Nicholas Evans at the City of Westminster magistrates’ court said on Thursday morning that he had acceded to the request for “in camera” hearing by Mr Hardy. “In camera” hearing is a private hearing from which the press and public are excluded.
The judge said on Thursday that some issues in the case relate to “matters, which in this country would have been considered under the Official Secrets Act.” Mr Evans said: “I am using my powers to hear the evidence in camera.”
The private hearing was just restricted to Thursday and the rest of the case would be heard in public. The next hearing is likely to be held later this month or in the beginning of June.
Mr Hardy’s team included Indian Supreme Court lawyer Dayan Krishnan, who is the special public prosecutor for this case, CBI inspector Ramnish and the naval attaché at the Indian high commission, Commodore P.K. Banerjee.
Dressed in a blue pullover, Shankaran sat with his solicitor Henri Brandman in the court and had barrister Claire Dobbin representing him. Shankaran, who suffers from severe hearing disability which he incurred because of his deep sea diving activities, has been allowed by court to sit with his legal team instead of the dock.
Mr Shankaran last year had paid £50,000 security for his bail. A part of this bail money was returned to Shankaran after the two sides negotiated on this during the last hearing of the case in January.