Ahead of the release of “Rocketry – The Nambi Effect” India’s first science fiction film based on ex-ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the conspiracy behind the ISRO spy case 1994, has filed an FIR against the former Kerala Police chief,  Sibi Mathew and former Intelligence Bureau Deputy Director, R B Sreekumar and 16 other police officials.

While the former Pettah station Inspector S Vijayan is listed as the first accused, the former DGP, Sibi Mathews is listed as the fourth accused and former IB Deputy Director R B Sreekumar is listed as the seventh accused in connection with the ISRO espionage case in which scientist Nambi Narayanan was wrongly arrested. All 18 police personnel named in the FIR,  have been charged with conspiracy, framing of false evidence, and illegal custody.

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“As per the directions of the Supreme Court, the agency has registered a case against 18 persons,” CBI spokesman R C Joshi told media.

Nambi Narayanan told indianarrative.com that by the grace of god, he was proved right, ”I hope justice will be done. It is not the case of any individual. Do you know what I was working on? Because of this case, the use of cryogenic technology was delayed by 15-20 years.”

Sreekumar, a former Gujarat cadre India Police Service officer who was on deputation with the Intelligence Bureau when the case surfaced, has said he had no role in it. Mathew told the media he was not heard by the Jain Commission, “Hope the CBI will give me enough time to put forward my contention. ”Two months ago, the Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe on the basis of Justice D K Jain report, which had suggested that the spy case was a result of a conspiracy.The  Supreme Court had on September 14 2018,  appointed a three member panel headed by former judge, D K Jain to look into the case and the roles played by  Kerala Police officers involved in arresting scientist Nambi Narayanan in the infamous Isro espionage case. The Supreme Court observed that Narayanan was "needlessly" made to suffer and hiked the compensation awarded to the scientist from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

Also Read: CBI to probe into wrongful arrest of ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan

Narayanan, his colleague Kumaran, two Maldives women and on Indian businessman Chandrashekhar were  arrested by the Kerala Police in November 1994 on accusations of espionage. All accused including Narayanan however, were acquitted in 1996 by a CBI court and since then, Narayanan has been fighting a legal battle against the then top police officials including retired DGP Siby Mathews, S Vijayan, and KK Joshua, who probed the case and implicated Narayanan.