NEW DELHI: A British court has issued an arrest warrant against Ravi Shankaran, nephew of former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash and a key accused in the naval War Room leak case.

A UK district court judge issued the warrant “on a request by the Central Bureau of Investigation to the United Kingdom’s home department for provisional arrest of Shankaran, who is reported to be hiding there”, a statement issued by the investigating agency read.

Ravi, a former naval officer, is charged with ferreting out information from the War Room. He fled India just before the CBI registered the case in September.

He was declared a “proclaimed offender” in November. According to the statement, “the warrant is thought to be a major step towards Shankaran’s apprehension and extradition”.