CBI Reveals Fabrication in 1994 ISRO Espionage Case

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has informed a court that the 1994 ISRO espionage case was allegedly fabricated by a senior Kerala police officer to detain a Maldivian woman who had rejected his advances. This false case led to the wrongful imprisonment of ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan and others.

The Fabricated Case

The CBI’s chargesheet, now made public, was filed in June against five former police officers for their roles in the false implication of Narayanan and five others, including two Maldivian women. According to the CBI, then-special branch officer S Vijayan concocted the case to prevent Maldivian national Mariyam Rasheeda from leaving India after she rebuffed his advances.

Rasheeda’s association with ISRO scientist D Shasikumaran prompted Kerala police officers to start monitoring her and her friend Fauzia Hasan. Despite the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau’s (SIB) inability to find anything suspicious about the women, Rasheeda was arrested under the Foreigners Act for overstaying her visa. Subsequently, Vijayan submitted a false report implicating Rasheeda and Hasan in an espionage case, leading to the arrest of Narayanan and three other ISRO scientists.

Arrests and Allegations

The CBI’s chargesheet accuses former DGPs R B Sreekumar and Siby Mathews, former SPs S Vijayan and K K Joshua, and ex-intelligence officer P S Jayaprakash of fabricating reports and initiating the espionage case. The CBI emphasized that the charges against Narayanan and others were baseless and part of a broader conspiracy to sustain the initial wrongful arrests.

Nambi Narayanan’s Ordeal

Nambi Narayanan, a prominent Indian space scientist, was falsely accused and tortured following allegations of selling space program secrets to Pakistan. After nearly 50 days in custody, Narayanan and the others were declared innocent by a local court in 1996. Despite being cleared, Narayanan’s life and career were significantly impacted.

Supreme Court Vindication

In September 2018, the Supreme Court of India acknowledged that the case against Narayanan was fabricated and awarded him 5 million rupees in compensation. The court also established a committee to take action against the responsible police officials. Narayanan expressed relief at the court’s decision, viewing it as final vindication after years of legal battles.

Impact on India’s Space Program

The false espionage case had a demoralizing effect on India’s space agency, ISRO. Narayanan, a pioneer of liquid propulsion technology, believes the case was part of an international conspiracy to derail India’s cryogenics program, delaying it by about 15 years. This delay affected India’s ability to compete in the lucrative satellite launch market, which is now a multi-billion-dollar industry.

The CBI’s revelations highlight the severe miscarriage of justice in the 1994 ISRO espionage case and underscore the need for accountability in law enforcement.