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ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan says Kalam wanted him to give up fight, but he refused

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Arrested in a false espionage case in 1994, Narayanan has been exonerated by Supreme Court; he was also awarded Rs 50 lakh in damages.

Bengaluru: Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan believes he would have been the chairman of the country’s foremost space agency had the “false” espionage case in the mid-1990s not forced him to fight for his innocence and honour.

Speaking to ThePrint, he said the case stole his life, took away his dream job and forever marred his illustrious career. When he was arrested in December 1994, allegedly on espionage charges, he was fully involved in creating cryogenic engines for India’s future space programmes.

“I could have become the chairman of ISRO without any doubt, but I am not sad. What is sad is that because of my dream job, I did not take care of my family,” he said.

“I was never a good husband or a father. I am very sad about the fact that I neglected my children. But now I want to spend all my time with my family,” he added.

India’s space research took a hit

The arrest of Narayanan and his colleague D. Sasikumaran, also on an espionage charge, not only decimated their career in space research, it also set back India’s development work on the cryogenic engine by several decades. Narayanan is credited for developing India’s first liquid propellant motor which later evolved into the advanced cryogenic engine. This engine is used in the Geo-synchronous Launch vehicles (GSLV) to deploy heavy satellites into space. The GSLV will be used in India’s first manned space mission as well.


Also read: ISRO spy case: SC awards Rs 50 lakh to space scientist Nambi Narayanan


It was a tough day Friday for the 76-year-old as he faced news cameras and repeated his statements on how happy he was that justice had finally been delivered by the Supreme Court. Weary from the two-decade-long fight, it is clear that his determination and guts to fight the system and prove his innocence is what has made Nambi Narayanan the iron man he is today.

“I am happy with the verdict. Till I achieved my goal it was not ready to give up, but my worry was that I should not kick the bucket before I achieve my goal,” he said.

“I feared for my life. Did I have any other choice? But I kept myself alive so I that I could prove my innocence,” Narayanan said, heaving a sigh of relief.

Fighting the case was his life’s mission

Narayanan made it his life’s mission to let the world know that he was not a spy. He was often under pressure to give up his fight during the case. But his steely will and determination to take it to its logical conclusion saw him through. Even India’s missile man, former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam asked him to give up.

“Kalam did ask me to quit the fight, but I am made of a different mettle. Kalam thought he could use my expertise for certain developmental activities if I could free myself from this case. My priority was to prove myself right,” Narayanan said.

When Narayanan and Sasikumaran were arrested by the Kerala police, he said he felt his heart sink. That was the worst day of his life. “Nothing after that felt as bad,” he told ThePrint.


Also read: BBC story on ISRO top engineer focuses more on her cooking than her scientific work


The so-called spy scandal came to light when the Kerala police claimed it had credible information and damning material to show that Narayanan and Sasikumaran were “stealing and selling rocket technology secrets” to Pakistan. The police said two Maldivian women, who had overstayed their visas in India, were used as a conduit in the secret mission.

In his own words, Narayanan said he made it his final ‘mission’ to expose the three police officers who not only framed him, tortured him but also “destroyed his life and career”. The three officers include top cop Siby Mathews and two other officers, K. K. Joshwa and S. Vijayan. But the CBI and the Supreme Court has cleared Narayanan and Sasikumaran of all charges and felt that the arrest of the scientist was “needless and unnecessary”.

“I wanted to punish them and that was my priority. I am still waiting with those slippers in hand,” he said. He was referring to the statement made by the police that Narayanan could hit them with his slippers if they were proven wrong about spying.

A bigger conspiracy

Narayanan said the conspiracy was used for the bigger political purpose of ousting K. Karunakaran, the then chief minister of Kerala, and placing senior Congress leader A.K. Antony in his place. “They found the perfect plot to use against Karunakaran with this spy case,” Narayanan alleged.

The verdict, he said, has set a precedent in India’s judicial system, which has never punished a law enforcement officer before for illegal detention and torture. “I have been awarded Rs 50 lakh under Article 21, which is the Right to Life, and alongside I can also continue with my civil suit of seeking Rs 1 crore towards damages,” Narayanan said.

“But this decision is something new and has set a precedent as the judge has said that this money is being given for Constitutional damage,” he added.

Narayanan had to undergo nearly a month and half in prison and was subjected to third degree police torture as part of interrogation.

His family have stood like a rock behind him in his fight for justice. His daughter Geetha said it was a moment of victory, but she did not know whether to feel happy or sad.  She called it a long fight where they never lost hope. Narayan described the 24-year-long ordeal as a “fight for his family” as he did not want them to carry the tag of being called “children of a spy”.

“We knew there was only one person who could bring out the truth and that was my father. He singlehandedly fought it… This is a moment of victory, but I don’t know if it is all joy,” said Geetha.

Narayanan says he now wants to concentrate on a movie that is being made on the spy case with Bollywood actor R. Madhavan in the lead. This mission, he feels, will surely succeed.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Tragic that this happened to a scientist who had the calibre to head ISRO. By the time the CBI submitted its closure report to the CJM in 1996, the facts of the case had been established. ISRO and AEC are effectively directly under the PM. No reason why someone should struggle for two decades in the judicial system. An executive order from the government should have restored Shri Nambi Narayanan’s honour. Who better to helm that initiative than Dr Kalam himself ? I think there are some dimly lit passages that are still off limits.

    • Sir, I guess the egos of the powers that be are larger than the nation’s interest. My heart goes out to Sri Narayanan and his family. It is the country’s loss that not only his talents were not properly utilized but also he was treated so badly.

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