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Supreme Court Awards Rs 50 Lakh To Scientist Falsely Implicated In ISRO Spy Case

Court terms the arrest of scientist Nambi Narayanan “unnecessary” and orders probe into Kerala police officers concerned.

Nambi Narayanan, Former ISRO Scientist (Source: PTI)
Nambi Narayanan, Former ISRO Scientist (Source: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Friday held that former Indian Space Research Organisation scientist Nambi Narayanan was “arrested unnecessarily, harassed and subjected to mental cruelty” in a 1994 espionage case and ordered a probe into the role of Kerala police officers.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra awarded Rs 50 lakh compensation to the now 76-year-old Narayanan for being subjected to mental cruelty in the case. The bench, also comprising Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud, formed a three-member panel headed by its former judge DK Jain to probe Narayanan being framed in the spy case.

Narayanan had approached the Supreme Court against the judgement of the Kerala High Court, which said no action was required to be taken against the former director general of police and two retired superintendents KK Joshua and S Vijayan, who were later held responsible by the Central Bureau of Investigation for the illegal arrest.

In 1998, the Supreme Court granted compensation of Rs 1 lakh to Narayanan and others, who were discharged in the case, and directed the state government to pay the amount. He later approached the National Human Rights Commission of India claiming compensation from the state government for the mental agony and torture suffered by him.

The National Human Rights Commission, after hearing both sides and taking into account the apex court judgement of April 29, 1998, awarded him interim compensation of Rs 10 lakh in March 2001.