US court rejects Sudarshan's bail plea

A US court has rejected the bail application of Singapore-based businessman Parthasarathy Sudarsan accused of violating numerous export control laws and shipping sensitive missile and space technology equipment to India.

Judge Deborah Robinson also rejected the defence plea of shifting the case to South Carolina where Sudarshan and his co-conspirator Mythili Gopal were arrested and charges framed against them. Gopal has been granted bail.

During the 50-minute hearing at the US District Court in Washington on Thursday, Defence Attorney Beattie Ashmore told the judge Sudarshan's passport, issued by the Republic of Singapore and valid till July 2014, has been impounded the FBI at the time of his arrest in South Carolina last month.

Clad in orange jumpsuit worn by prisoners and his hands tied behind his back Sudarshan was led into the courtroom by a US Marshall. He showed no emotion, only briefly consulting with his attorney at the start of the proceedings.

Making his submission, the US attorney in charge of the case Jay Bratt said Sudarshan had committed a serious white collar crime that violated export controls pertaining to non proliferation and missile delivery systems.