KOCHI: The CBI probing the conspiracy involved in framing former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist Nambi Narayanan in the 1994 espionage case has arraigned a former intelligence officer who had interrogated Mariam Rasheeda, a Maldivian woman. P S Jayaprakash, 71, retired deputy central intelligence officer, has been made an accused in the case.
He moved the High Court on Wednesday seeking anticipatory bail. The CBI registered the new FIR implicating former investigating officers of the Kerala police and former officers of Intelligence Bureau, who had assisted the police in the probe. Sources said the CBI New Delhi team will reach Thiruvananthapuram soon to collect evidence.
The CBI has registered the FIR based on the Supreme Court order, issued after considering a report from a three-member panel about the role of top officers in allegedly implicating Narayanan, who was later acquitted and awarded Rs 50 lakh compensation by the Supreme Court.
Jayaprakash, who filed his anticipatory bail plea through Kaleeswaram Raj, an advocate in the Supreme Court and Kerala High Court, said he had been arraigned as the 11th accused in the conspiracy case. Justice K Haripal, which sought the CBI’s view on his petition, ordered it not to arrest him till Friday. At the hearing, Kaleeswaram submitted that the petitioner was only a middle level officer who was part of the team that was helping the Kerala Police in investigation. He was serving as Deputy Central Intelligence Officer Grade-I of the subsidiary Intelligence Bureau, Kochi.
The investigation began on October 20, 1994 and he joined the probe team for a short period from November 4 to November 30, 1994. He did not take part in Nambi Narayanan’s interrogation or arrest. He only interrogated Mariam and D Sasi Kumaran, former space scientist.“On one occasion, he had to interact with Fauzia Hassan, another Maldivian woman. Other than that, he was not connected with the episode. He has not even met Narayanan and had no reason or occasion to do anything against him. Arraigning him and harassing him after over two decades is clearly an abuse of process of law,” submitted the counsel.
OFFENCES MENTIONED IN CBI’S FIR
The offences alleged in the new FIR registered by CBI are under IPC Sections 167 (Public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury), 218 (Public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save person from punishment), 330 (Voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 195 (Giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of offence punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment), 348 (Wrongful confinement to extort confession,), 365 (Kidnapping or abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 477A (Falsification of accounts), 506 (Criminal Intimidation) and 120B (Criminal Conspiracy).