ISRO espionage conspiracy case: Justice recuses from hearing plea of accused

KOCHI: Justice Viju Abraham has recused from considering the pleas filed by the former investigating officers seeking anticipatory bail in the CBI case alleging conspiracy to fabricate the ISRO espionage case. The single bench also directed the High Court Registry to submit these before the Chief Justice for further action. The single bench did not specify the reason for the withdrawal.

The CBI is conducting an investigation on the instructions of the Supreme Court on the allegation that the investigating officers had conspired to trap Nambi Narayanan, who was a scientist in ISRO, in the espionage case. The High Court had earlier granted anticipatory bail to the accused in this case. The Supreme Court canceled the anticipatory bail of the accused in the petition filed by the CBI against this and sent them back to the High Court for reconsideration. The High court was considering anticipatory bail pleas of first accused S. Vijayan, second accused Thambi S Durgadutt, fourth accused and former DGP Ciby Mathews, seventh accused and former IB Deputy Director R.B. Sreekumar, eleventh accused VK Mayani.