A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has begun its probe into the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) espionage case, where certain police have been accused of framing former scientist Nambi Narayanan. A team of officials from New Delhi called on Nambi Narayanan at his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on June 30, Wednesday, as part of the investigation, and recorded his statement. The CBI in May had registered a First Information Report against former Kerala police officials including former Director General of Police (DGP) Siby Mathews. The FIR had been registered for allegedly framing Nambi Narayanan on false charges in the sensational ISRO spy case that dates back to 1994.
The Supreme Court in April this year had directed the CBI to conduct further investigation into the allegations of falsely implicating Nambi Narayanan in the case. The SC's order was based on the findings of a three-member committee under retired apex court judge Justice DK Jain. Siby Mathews headed the Special Investigation Team that probed the case while the other officials who were in the team were KK Joshua, S Vijayan, and Thampi S Durgadutt. Siby Mathews, meanwhile, secured anticipatory bail in the case.
The CBI filed the FIR marked as classified in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Thiruvananthapuram. The FIR reportedly accused the former police officials of 'wrongful arrest', custodial torture, and unjustified implication of Nambi Narayanan and others, The Hindu reported. Apart from Kerala police officials, RB Sreekumar, the then Deputy Director of Intelligence Bureau has also been named in the FIR.
Nambi Narayanan was working at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) when the case was registered at a police station in Thiruvananthapuram in November 1994, based on a report of the special branch. Though the CBI had later dismissed the case as baseless, Nambi Narayanan had approached the SC seeking action against the police officials.