New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan was “arrested unnecessarily, harassed and subjected to mental cruelty” in a 1994 espionage case, the Supreme Court held Friday, as it ordered a probe into the role of the Kerala police officers involved in it.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra awarded Rs 50 lakh compensation to 76-year-old Narayanan for being subjected to mental cruelty in the case and asked the Kerala government to pay the compensation to him within eight weeks.
The bench, that also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, formed a three-member panel headed by its former judge, Justice D K Jain, to probe the framing of Narayanan in the spy case.
Narayanan had approached the apex court against the judgement of the Kerala High Court, which said no action was required to be taken against former DGP Siby Mathews and two retired superintendents of police K K Joshua and S Vijayan, who were later held responsible by the CBI for the scientist’s illegal arrest.
‘THE FIGHT’S OVER’
Narayanan said the fight was finally over for him.
“I am happy that a (three-member) committee, and not a commission, has been formed to conduct an inquiry. Till now, it was a fight, but it’s over now. I want to live for myself now. Enough is enough,” he said.
“It was a long-fought case, or rather a judicial war. Let the committee come out with the conspiracy behind the case. With this verdict, police officials should realise that they cannot escape their actions,” Narayanan said.
