THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe into the alleged role of Kerala Police officers in framing former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan in the sensational ISRO spy case, the heat would be on three former cops who had conducted early proceedings against Narayanan.
The CBI probe was ordered on the basis of Justice D K Jain report which apparently had remarks against former DGP Sibi Mathews and two retired superintendents- S Vijayan and K K Joshua, who had played a role in the arrest and subsequent probe against Narayanan in the infamous case.
S Vijayan, who was the one who had allegedly exposed the ISRO espionage ring, was not amused by the Supreme Court order and reacted that the verdict was passed on the basis of Jain Commission report, which was prepared without hearing him.
Vijayan, who as an inspector in the state intelligence, had set the ball rolling in the espionage case by arresting Mariam Rasheeda, a Maldivian woman, claiming she had honey-trapped Narayanan and another scientist D Sasikumaran to obtain classified ISRO papers.
“The Commission, while preparing the report, met and recorded Narayanan’s statements only. They did not meet me. They prepared the report without hearing my version. This is against natural justice,” he said. Vijayan said action was taken against Narayanan as he was in touch with foreigners contrary to the rules of ISRO.
“ISRO being notified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), Narayanan should not have kept relations with foreigners. As a cop I need to look at whether he had broken the OSA which he indeed did. Whether his relations with the Maldivian women were only for fulfilling his biological need or whether it was a honey trap, it was not up to the local police to probe those things,” he said.
He added that there were numerous pieces of evidence against Narayanan, including the files obtained from ISRO office, and it was on the basis of those details that the scientist was arrested.Sibi, who had headed the team that arrested Narayanan, said he did not get a chance to present his version before Justice Jain. Joshua could not be contacted.
WHO ARE THEY?
S Vijayan, as an inspector in the state intelligence, had set the ball rolling in the ISRO espionage case by arresting Mariam Rasheeda, a Maldivian woman, claiming she had honey-trapped Nambi Narayanan and another scientist D Sasikumaran to obtain classified ISRO papers.
Former DGP Sibi Mathews had headed the team that arrested Narayanan.
K K Joshua was SP at the time