In a resolute decision, the Gujarat High Court has quashed former ISRO technical officer Kalpesh Turi’s hopes for bail, citing allegations of sharing confidential information with a woman in Pakistan. The court, led by Justice MR Mengdey, stood firm in its stance, asserting that the images purportedly disseminated by Turi to the Pakistani woman were snapshots from ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, captured without any official authorization.
Turi’s legal journey has been fraught with twists and turns. Despite his withdrawal of a previous bail plea last year, he sought a fresh bid for freedom, which now finds itself thwarted by the High Court’s latest ruling. Justice Mengdey, in his astute observations, pointed out that the trial process is well underway, with the prosecution having examined numerous witnesses. This, in the court’s view, signaled a lack of significant change in circumstances to warrant Turi’s release.
The legal battleground is set against the backdrop of allegations of cyber terrorism, as Turi stands accused under Section 66 F(1)(B) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Senior Advocate Shalin Mehta, spearheading Turi’s defense, argued vehemently for his client’s innocence, citing a communication from the Space Applications Centre indicating that the shared information lacked the gravity of secrecy or sensitivity.
Mehta emphasized Turi’s unblemished 17-year career with ISRO, painting a picture of a dedicated professional caught in an unfortunate predicament. He asserted that Turi had innocently shared mere selfies from his workplace, oblivious to the recipient’s location in Pakistan.
On the opposing front, Additional Public Prosecutor JK Shah countered, alleging that the shared photos were indeed of sensitive ISRO premises in Ahmedabad, thereby bolstering the prosecution’s case against Turi.
The Court, in its sagacious deliberations, chose to tread cautiously, refraining from making substantive judgments on the evidence at hand, deferring instead to the ongoing trial proceedings. It underscored the importance of allowing the trial court to assess the presented evidence comprehensively.
In the grand theatre of legal argumentation, where advocates like Shalin Mehta, Vicky B Meta, and Palak G Jadeja fervently championed Turi’s cause, and JK Shah stood stalwart for the prosecution, the Gujarat High Court stood as the ultimate arbiter, denying Turi’s bid for liberty in light of the grave allegations and the progressing trial.
