India turns down Snowden's asylum request

NEW DELHI - India Tuesday said it has turned down the asylum request of former US spy Edward Snowden who currently holed up at the transit lounge of Moscow airport.

"Indian Embassy in Moscow did receive a request for asylum in a communication dated 30 June from Edward Snowden. Following careful examination we have concluded that we see no reason to accede to the Snowden request," the External Affairs Ministry said on popular micro-blogging site "Twitter".

Snowden, a former technical contractor for the US-based National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency, came to limelight after he leaked to the media details of top-secret American and British government mass surveillance programmes.

He was last month charged by the United States under the espionage act.