Shivangi Prakash-
Published on: August 13, 2021 at 14:58 IST
In the ISRO espionage case, the Kerala High Court granted anticipatory bail to RB Sreekumar, two former Kerala Police officials S. Vijayan and Thampi S. Durga, and a retired IB member PS Jayaprakash.
The rulings were issued today by Justice Ashok Menon of a Single Bench.
The espionage case, which made news in 1994, involved charges that two scientists and four individuals, including two Maldivian women, had transferred some confidential documents about India’s space programme to foreign countries.
The case gained prominence in October 1994, when Rasheeda, a Maldivian national, was detained in Thiruvananthapuram for allegedly stealing secret drawings of ISRO rocket engines to sell to Pakistan.
ISRO Deputy Director D Sasikumaran, and Fousiya Hasan, a Maldivian friend of Rasheeda, were detained together with Narayanan, the then director of the cryogenic project at ISRO.
After a thorough inquiry, the CBI gave the 79-year-old retired scientist a clean chit. He then went to Court, seeking legal action against the Intelligence and Kerala Police personnel who were involved in his espionage case.
However, this was dismissed on the grounds that no action against them was required.
As a result, Narayan appealed the High Court’s decision to the Supreme Court. It agreed with Narayanan’s request that those guilty for inflicting such a “harrowing effect” on his mind face “legal consequences.”
The panel led by Justice Jain investigated the circumstances surrounding the arrest for nearly two and a half years. Earlier this year, the three-member inquiry team delivered its report to the Supreme Court in a sealed cover.
Following that, the Supreme Court ordered the CBI to conduct an investigation and make a decision based on the findings of the investigation report.
At this point, the CBI has charged 18 former police and Intelligence Bureau personnel with numerous counts of falsely incriminating Narayanan and torturing him in custody.
As a result, a number of these former cops sought the Court to request anticipatory bail. The Court gave them interim relief over a two-month period.
Meanwhile, the two Maldivian nationals involved in the case have filed an impleading motion in Court disputing the bail.
Also Read- ISRO Spy Case: SC orders CBI to conduct Investigation