A court in New Delhi Friday sent former Navy Commander Mukesh Saini, arrested in connection with the spy ring in the National Security Council Secretariat, to police custody for five days during which he will be taken to Mumbai in connection with the checking of computer hardware allegedly used to leak sensitive information.

Saini, who till recently headed the National Information Security Coordination Cell at the NSCS, was produced before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kanwaljeet Arora by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police after he was arrested following intensive questioning for two days.

During his five-day custody, Saini, who joined Microsoft India a couple of months ago, will be taken to Mumbai for verification of some computer hardware that was allegedly used to leak crucial information, his counsel told reporters after the in-camera hearing. Saini has been booked under Section 120-B of the IPC (criminal conspiracy) and certain sections of the Official Secrets Act.

The former navy commander, who resigned and joined the US-based software company, allegedly introduced US diplomat Rosanna Minchew to "contacts" like S S Paul, a NSCS system analyst who too has been arrested. Minchew left the country after the spy ring came to light.

Coverage: Spy vs Spy