News came out 23 days before case; headlines of ISRO espionage case became hint for conspiracy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The most helpful thing for the CBI to prove the conspiracy in the espionage case was that the espionage case was headlined in newspapers 23 days before the case was registered. After leading media persons testified that Inspector Vijayan had given the information, the investigation turned to Vijayan.

The CBI has included witness statements about Vijayan's misdeeds in the charge sheet. Circle Inspector C Suresh Babu, who was Vijayan's colleague, testified that the special branch usually investigates the cases that the commissioner gives in writing. There was no such directive to investigate the espionage case.

Nambi Narayanan, who was arrested on 30 November 1994, was interrogated by IB officers at Hindustan Latex Guest House while in police custody. Retired SP Baby Charles testified that it was he who brought the doctor to treat Nambi Narayanan, who passed out due to the beating. It was DySP Joshua who suggested calling a doctor. Nambi Narayanan was examined by Dr V Sukumaran of Thirumala Sri Krishna Hospital. The doctor warned that Nambi Narayanan was in a serious condition and that if he was beaten any more he would die. There was swelling and blood clots below the knee. The doctor testified that Nambi Narayanan complained that the police did not allow him to sleep or sit for two days.

Stripped, restrained and beaten on the knee with a chair

• Mariam Rasheeda had told a senior media person who visited the jail that Vijayan and former SI Thampi S Durga Dutt had brutally beaten her up. This was also recorded as a statement.
• Mariam was stripped completely naked and tied to the window with her hands behind her back, and was beaten on the knees with a wooden chair. The chair broke. According to the media worker's statement, Maryam showed her legs and it was heartbreaking.

Supreme Court intervention

• The police had registered two FIRs in connection with the espionage case in 1994. Nambi Narayan was made accused. In 2018, Nambi Narayanan filed a case questioning this in the Supreme Court, and on April 15, 2021, there was a favourable verdict. The Justice Jain Commission, appointed on the directives of the Supreme Court, recommended investigating the conspiracy behind the espionage case. The case was investigated by CBI Delhi unit.
• The five accused including Siby Mathews have been charged with causing unjust bodily harm to create false evidence and documents, creating false evidence by government officials, creating false documents for a case, inflicting grievous bodily harm, unjust detention and conspiracy to insult womanhood. There were 18 accused in the first FIR.