ISRO Espionage: Former Police Officer Alleges Nambi Narayanan Influenced CBI Probe By Entering Into Land Deals With Investigating Officers

The sensational  ISRO espionage case took a further surprising turn on Wednesday as former police officer S. Vijayan argued before the Kerala High Court that Nambi Narayanan influenced the CBI investigation against him by entering into land deals worth crores with the then investigating officials of the agency.

To substantiate its arguments, he had placed before the trial court encumbrance certificates of several acres of land in Tamil Nadu which revealed Narayanan or his son as the power of attorney holders, yet the complaint was rejected. 

Justice R Narayana Pisharadi however noted that encumbrance certificates did not prove the sale of land and asked the petitioner to produce the actual sale deeds. It added that the sanction to prosecute would also be required for the trial court to order an investigation.

The counsel then informed the Court that preparations were underway to obtain records of the sale deeds in relation to the encumbrance certificates.

The Bench further opined that the trial court had only rejected the petitioner's complaint and did not dismiss it. Therefore, he still had the option to move a fresh complaint before it along with all the relevant documents.

Vijayan, along with 17 other former Kerala police and IB officials, is facing a CBI probe for allegedly implicating Narayanan and some others in the 1994 ISRO espionage case. He and three others were recently granted anticipatory bail by the Court in the CBI's conspiracy case against them. 

Besides the four, 14 others are named as accused in the case for various offences, including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and fabrication of evidence in connection with the arrest and detention of Narayanan in the espionage case. 

According to the petitioner, certain plots were sold to the CBI officials, and this material was sufficient for the trial court to order an investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act against the scientist and the agency officials.

The Court said it will pass an order on admission of the plea and will issue notice to all the parties, including Narayanan, as all of them have to be heard.

Case Title: S. Vijayan v. Central Bureau of Investigation