ISRO case: HC sets aside time limit on bail of ex-DGP

One-liner: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday set aside the 60 days time limit set by a lower court on the anticipatory bail granted to former Kerala DGP Siby Mathews, who is facing a CBI probe, for falsely implicating former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan in a spying case in 1994.

Judge allows plea: Justice K Haripal allowed Mathews' plea challenging the limit set on the anticipatory bail by the trial court while granting him the protection from arrest on Aug 24.

• The former DGP, represented by his advocates, had contended that the trial court had erred in setting a validity period on the relief granted by it
• Four of the accused in the case were granted anticipatory bail by the HC on Aug 13 and this order has been challenged by the CBI in the Supreme Court

CBI case: The CBI has lodged the case against Mathews and 17 others, including IB officials, for various offences like criminal conspiracy and kidnapping and fabrication of evidence in connection with the arrest of Narayanan and two Maldives nationals -- Mariyam Rasheeda and Fouziyya Hassan.

Relief to Narayanan: The apex court had also directed the Kerala govt to pay Rs 50 lakh as compensation for compelling Narayanan to undergo immense humiliation.

Espionage charge: The espionage case, which had hit the headlines then, 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.

Source: PTI