Framed ISRO ex-scientist may get more compensation, hints SC

The Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated that it may increase the compensation to former senior scientist of ISRO, S. Nambi Narayanan, who was falsely implicated in an espionage case by the Intelligence Bureau and Kerala Police.

While posting the matter for further hearing on Wednesday, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said Narayanan can continue pursuing his case seeking Rs 1 crore in damages.

Narayanan has been paid a compensation of around Rs 11 lakh.

The court also indicated that it may ask the Kerala government to hold a fresh probe into the matter as senior counsel V. Giri said the Central Bureau of Investigation, which probed the matter, had found the charges against Narayanan "malicious".

Narayanan -- who studied in the Princeton University and worked with National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- came to India to work with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), refusing the offer of US citizenship, said his lawyer C. Unikrishnan.

Narayanan told the court that his dream was that India becomes a space power. Unikrishnan said Narayanan was working on a cryogenic engine when he was arrested on November 30, 1994, in a fabricated case and jailed for 50 days.

Narayanan said he was seeking a fresh probe as he wanted to know the motive behind the case which caused a 15-year delay in the development of cryogenic engine, resulting in a loss of billions of dollars to India.

--IANS

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