New Delhi, May 22 (IANS): A Delhi court on Monday extended the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand of freelance journalist Vivek Raghuvanshi and former Navy Commander Ashish Pathak for five days in connection with an espionage case being probed by the agency.

The two were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Anjani Mahajan of Rouse Avenue Court on expiry of their CBI remand.

On May 17, the CBI arrested Pathak for helping Raghuvanshi in getting sensitive information related to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and earlier on the same day, Raghuvanshi was arrested for allegedly sharing the classified information with intelligence agencies of foreign nations, including Pakistan.

"Raghuvanshi was involved in the illegal collection of sensitive information. He collected minute details of the DRDO defence projects and their progress, sensitive details about the future procurement of Indian armed forces which reveal the strategic preparedness of country's classified communications/information relating to national security, details of the strategic and diplomatic talks of India with our friendly countries and shared this classified information with intelligence agencies of foreign countries," a CBI official said.

The CBI had registered the case on December 9, 2022, under Section 3 of Official Secrets Act, read with Section 120-B of Indian Penal Code (IPC), after receiving a complaint from the DRDO.

During investigation, certain documents allegedly containing sensitive information were recovered from Raghuvanshi's possession.