On Tuesday, Kerala government handed over a cheque of additional compensation worth Rs 1.30 crore to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist, Nambi Narayanan who was falsely implicated by the state police in an espionage case.
Following Supreme Court’s 2018 order, Narayanan had filed a case in the local court of Thiruvananthapuram to raise the compensation. Supreme Court in 2018, ruled that arrest of the eminent scientist in the case was unnecessary and he was implicated. The court had granted him an interim relief of Rs 50 lakh and Rs 10 lakh relief was ordered National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Besides this compensation, the court had also added to its ruling that Narayanan deserves more and he can approach the lower court in case he want proper compensation.
“I am happy. It is not for money alone I fought. My fight was against injustice. Hated by all I thought of committing suicide on several occasions. But I never wanted to die as a traitor. I lived all these years only to tell this,” said Narayanan.
ISRO Spy case came into headlines in 1994 in which there were allegations posed against Nambi Narayan and D Sasikumaran for selling the confidential documents and secrets of the cryogenic engine technology for money and sexual favours. The accused were two scientists and four others including two Maldivian women.
In 1998, after the submission of status report by CBI, the Supreme Court stated that the allegations were cooked. Narayanan was the first to introduce liquid fuel rocket technology. There were many books written about the espionage case and even a biopic is made on Narayanan which is being delayed due to pandemic situations.
