Government asked to pay Rs 10 lakh compensation to ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan

KOCHI: Dismissing a state government petition, Kerala High Court today directed it to grant Rs 10 lakh compensation within three months to former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was falsely charged in the 1994 ' ISRO espionage case.'

Pronouncing the judgment, the court upheld the order of the National Human Rights Commission awarding Rs 10 lakh compensation to the scientist, who was incharge of overall Cyrogenic project and had introduced the liquid fuel rocket technology in India in early 1970s.

The sensational espionage case in 1994 was first investigated by Kerala police and later handed over to CBI. The CBI found that no espionage as alleged had taken place.

In 1998, the Supreme court had found that the allegation of espionage was false and had ordered release of all accused-- Nambi Narayanan, another ISRO Scientist D Sasikumaran, two Bangalore based businessmen S K Sharma and Chandrasekharan, former IGP Ramon Srivastava and two Maldivian women Mariam Rasheeda and Fouzia Hassan.

Following the apex court verdict, Narayanan moved NHRC for compensation and was awarded Rs 10 lakh.

Challenging the NHRC order, the government filed an appeal in 2006 on the ground of limitation.It contended that the plea was filed belatedly and hence it cannot be considered.

A Division bench comprising justices C N Ramachandran Nair and C K Abdul Rahim today dismissed the appeal and directed government to pay the compensation.

However, the bench also directed to remove the recommendation of the commission to take action against investigating officers, including former ADGP Sibi Mathews, who had probed the case in the initial stage.

The government contended that the commission had directed grant of compensation solely on the basis of findings of CBI.

The sensational case had cut short the term of then Chief Minister K Karunakaran and marred the career of the two ISRO scientists and a top IPS officer.