ISRO spy case verdict: Supreme Court to pronounce verdict on ex-ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan's plea against cops

Update at 10:52 am: A committee to be formed to conduct a probe into the matter

Update at 10:52 am: Fifty lakhs compensation to be granted to the ex-ISRO Scientist

Update at 10:52 am: The former scientist was unfairly arrested and harassed: Supreme Court

Supreme Court on Friday will pronounce its verdict on a plea filed by former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan seeking action against police officers who probed the espionage case against him. The petition mentions the need for a further probe in the case along with the issues of compensation and relief to the former scientists. 

Read: ISRO Spy Verdict Out: SC says Former ISRO Scientist Nambi Narayanan "unfairly Arrested & Harassed", Orders Rs 50 Lakh Compensation

The hearings had seen an interesting turn of events in July when a bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar along with Justice D Y Chandrachud reserved its order after the CBI stated that it was ready for a court-monitored probe.

Read: ACCESSED: Vijay Mallya's 'thank You' Note To Former PM Manmohan Singh Confirming Then PMO's Lone-wolf Lobbying On Kingfisher Airlines' Behalf

The former scientist was arrested on November 30, 1994, on allegations of espionage. It was alleged that he leaked 'Flight Test data' to the Maldives. He was later exonerated by the Supreme Court. Nambi Narayanan had approached the apex court against Kerala High Court’s judgment, stating that no action was required against officers associated with the investigation — former DGP Siby Mathews and former SPs K K Joshua and S Vijayan. Mr. Narayanan has accused the Kerala Police and the IB of torturing and extracting statements from him.

The High Court had said that no action was required to be taken against the former DGP and two retired Superintendents of Police who were held responsible by CBI for his illegal arrest. 

The 76-year-old former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan said the division bench of the high court had "failed to appreciate the real undercurrent that passed through the mind of the apex court, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the single judge of the high court in their verdict and on untenable reasons, quashed the order of the single judge".

The apex court had in 1998 granted compensation of Rs one lakh to Narayanan and others who were discharged in the case and directed the state government to pay the amount.

Later, Narayanan approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), claiming compensation against the state government for mental agony and torture suffered by him.

The NHRC, after hearing both sides and taking into account the apex court judgment of April 29, 1998 awarded an interim compensation of Rs 10 lakh on March 14, 2001.