The Supreme Court today held that former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan was arrested unnecessarily, harassed and subjected to mental cruelty in a 1994 espionage case. The court also ordered a probe into the role of Kerala police officers in the case.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra awarded Rs. 50 lakh compensation to the 76-year-old Narayanan for being subjected to mental cruelty in the case. The court also formed a three-member panel headed by its former judge D K Jain to probe Narayanan being framed in the spy case.
The former ISRO scientist was arrested in 1994, on allegations of espionage. In 1998, the apex court discharged Narayanan and others in the case and granted compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to them.
Nambi Narayanan had approached the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court’s judgement, which said no action was required against the former DGP and two retired superintendents of police who were associated with the investigation of the case. They were held responsible by the CBI for the scientist’s illegal arrest.
