ISRO spy case: Ex-scientist Chandrasekhar dies without knowing SC verdict

Bengaluru: It was a verdict he had been longing for nearly two-and-a-half decades in the ISRO espionage case, but former space scientist K Chandrasekhar slipped into coma hours before the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on Friday (September 14), dismissing the case as a frame-up.

In its verdict, the apex court held that former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan was "arrested unnecessarily, harassed and subjected to mental cruelty".

It also awarded Rs 50 lakh compensation to 76-year-old Narayanan for being subjected to mental torture in the 1994 case, in which Chandrasekhar was also one of the six accused but was exonerated along with others in 1998.

Chandrasekhar had undergone a surgery to remove gall bladder stone and was recuperating at Columbia Asia Hospital here. He fell into coma on Friday at 7.15 am and passed away on Sunday at 8.40 pm. “He was anxiously waiting for the verdict from early hours of Friday," said Chandrasekhar's wife K J Vijayamma. The ruling in the case came at 11 am. Vijayamma recalled the final hours of the scientist who underwent untold agony and misery in the false case that shattered him and his family.

On Friday at 3.15am, he asked for coffee and spoke about the case. "He was absolutely certain that they will win," Vijayamma told PTI.

Chandrasekhar had worked as India's representative to Russian space agency Glavkosmos since 1992.

It was Vijayamma's job in the public sector undertaking HMT as general manager that saved the couple from the financial travails after the false case cost Chandrasekhar his job.

"We were leading a good life and after this case we suddenly became penniless. We could manage to survive because of my job,” said Vijayamma.

She claimed that there were attempts to dismiss her from the service for her husband's background.

The espionage case, which hit the headlines in 1994, pertained to allegations of transfer of certain confidential documents on India's space programme to foreign countries by two scientists and four others, including two Maldivian women.

The case was first investigated by the Kerala police and later handed over to the CBI, which found no merit in the espionage case.

The case also had its political fallout with a section in the Congress targeting then chief minister late K Karunakaran over the issue, that eventually led to his resignation.