The Kerala High Court on Friday upheld the order of the National Human Rights Commission directing the state government to pay Rs 10 lakh interim compensation to former ISRO scientist S Nambi Narayanan who was acquitted in the espionage case of the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1994.
Dismissing the state government’s appeal, a Division Bench comprising Justice C N Ramachandran Nair and Justice C K Abdul Rehim directed the government to grant the amount within three months.
The court also considered an appeal filed by Narayanan seeking a directive to the state to pay the amount ordered by NHRC under section 18 (3) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
However, the Bench also directed to remove the recommendation of the commission to take action against investigating officers, including former ADGP Sibi Mathews, who had probed the case in the initial stage.
The government contended that the commission had directed grant of compensation solely on the basis of the findings of CBI and that inquiry was not conducted before passing the order.