CBI carries out raids in connection with Devas-Antrix deal

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI) has lodged an FIR in the ISRO Antrix-Devas spectrum deal signed in 2005 during the tenure of the UPA government.

CBI has alleged there were irregularities worth .`578 crore in the deal and its was suppressed from the Union Cabinet. The Department of Space comes directly under the Prime Minister’s Office.

CBI on Wednesday conducted multiple raids in Bengaluru in connection with the case. The case has been registered against KR Sridhara Murthi, then executive director of Antrix Corporation, R Vishwanath and MG Chadrashekar of US-based Forge Advisors, Devas Multimedia and unnamed officials of Antrix, ISRO and Department of Space.

No ISRO scientists have been named as accused in the FIR, though a high-level committee appointed by the UPA government in 2011 had named four scientists including former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair as responsible for “various acts of commission”.

CBI sources, however, said the role, if any, of Nair and the three other retired scientists — A Bhaskaranarayana, K R Sridhara Murthi and KN Shankara — will be “examined” in course of the probe. Nair had to resign from his post after the scam had come to light and the Centre had subsequently excluded the four space scientists from re-employment, committee roles or any other important role in the government.