SC disinclined to order CBI enquiry in Nambi Narayanan's case; but compensation to be given

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Wednesday wondered whethere there was any need for a CBI enquiry into the torture of Nambi Narayanan, former scientist in ISRO.

Although Narayanan had petition ed the SC for CBI enquiry and the CBI had hinted at willingness for the same in the morning session, the court during the hearings in the afternoon asked whether state police enquiry would not suffice. The CBI had also said that there were deliberate attempts by those officials to trap him and they had resorted to methods of torture in detention.

Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that the state government should first give compensation for his suffering which should be backcharged on the officials responsible. The amount should be recovered from them even if it entailed selling their property. The CJI also opined that there was no need for criminal proceedings against the accused officials.

Nambi Narayanan had approached the Supreme Court demanding a CBI enquiry, pleading that the acts of the investigating officers affected the fate of the country and himself. He said he had declined US citizenship and gave up NASA fellowship, in order to serve the country all of which was wiped out by the espionage case.

He had informed the SC earlier that he was implicated in the espionage case when he turned down the US citizenship offer. Narayanan who was sitting in the gallery to witness the proceedings, was summoned by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and asked to say what he wanted. It is for the second time that the apex court heard the arguments of Narayanan in the ISRO espionage case.

Narayanan said that when he was working in NASA as a fellow, he was offered American citizenship, but he chose to reject it and work in India. He repeated that what he was seeking was not compensation, but action against the then investigating officers.

The court had indicated that it could direct the CBI or the state policy for re-investigation of the case against the espionage case investigation team of Sibi Mathews, KK Joshua and S Vijayan. Indications were also given that compensation for mental stress resulting from the false case could be raised to twenty of twenty five lac rupees.