NEW DELHI, June 24: India’s top investigating agency has raided homes across the country of senior defence officials suspected of leaking classified military information, a statement said on Saturday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided 19 sites in four cities, including the premises of several serving navy and army officials, a statement posted on the agency’s wesbite said.

“Ongoing investigations indicate that ... there was also ... a larger ring of compromised officials who were giving sensitive information to the accused persons in exchange (for) gratifications,” the statement said.

The government had asked the CBI earlier this year to investigate after reports said classified information related to a multi-billion-dollar submarine deal had been leaked.

The federal government itself is under fire over allegations that intermediaries, including one allegedly close to the ruling Congress party, were involved in a deal to buy Scorpene submarines from a French defence firm. The government denies the charges.

Three navy officials were sacked after the leak was first reported in the media last year.

Citing the Official Secrets Act, the CBI had also arrested six people and raided 17 places earlier this year. —AFP