As it intensified probe into the sensational corporate espionage, Delhi Police today said "national interest was taken for a ride" and talked about invoking Official Secrets Act against the 12 people arrested, including five corporate executives.
The police got three-day custody of the five corporate executives for questioning even while it raided the office of a petrochemical company in Noida after it searched the office of arrested energy consultant Prayas Jain.
More raids are possible, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi said as he promised to reach the bottom of the whole thing.
While producing before a court here the five corporate executives who were arrested last night, Delhi Police said, "National interest was taken for a ride in the case. Documents relates to national security have also been recovered. This may attract charges under the Official Secrets Act."
It sought their custody, saying the accused might tamper with the evidence if released at this stage.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal allowed the Crime Branch of Delhi Police to quiz them in their custody till February 24 as the police said charges under the OSA might also be invoked in the matter as documents related to national security have been recovered.
The five accused who were produced in the court are Shailesh Saxena from RIL, Vinay Kumar from Essar, KK Naik from Cairns, Subhash Chandra from Jubilant Energy and Rishi Anand from Reliance ADAG.
Saxena is Manager, corporate affairs, Reliance Industries Limited(RIL); Chandra is senior executive, Jubilant Energy; Anand is DGM, Reliance ADAG; Vinay is DGM, Essar and Naik is GM, Cairns India.
Seven people had been arrested earlier.
