SC sets aside Kerala HC order granting anticipatory bail to officials who probed ISRO case
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the Kerala High Court order that granted anticipatory bail to officials accused of framing ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan in the controversial espionage case that rocked the state in the 1990s.
The apex asked Kerala HC to consider the pleas of former officials of the Intelligence Bureau and state police and decide the matter within 4 weeks of receiving the order.
The CBI challenged the HC order granting anticipatory bail to former Kerala Director General of Police Siby Mathews, former Gujarat ADGP RB Sreekumar, PS Jayaprakash, S Vijayan and Thampi S Durgadutt, according to the Indian Express.
The court also directed for the officials not to be arrested for 5 weeks, while allowing the HC in the meantime to decide on their anticipatory bail.
A bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar made it clear that it had not noticed anything on the merit of the case of either parties and said "it is ultimately for the High Court to pass appropriate order".
An committee headed by former judge Justice DK Jain was formed by the court in September 2018 to ' find ways" to take " appropriate steps" against police personnel allegedly involved in framing the scientist.
Meanwhile, the court awarded the compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Dr Nambi Narayanan for his illegal arrest and custodial torture, according to the report.
The SC initiated the CBI investigation in April 2021 after the Centre said the Jain Commission report stated the matter "needs deeper investigation".
Espionage case erupted in 1994 after the Kerala police arrested two Maldivian women Mariam Rasheeda and Fousiya Hasan claiming to have uncovered spy activities in ISRO.