Four ISRO scientists indicted for Antrix-Devas deal

Bangalore: Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) appointed committee for acts of commission in the Antrix-Devas deal has indicted the former ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair and three other retired senior scientists. Earlier the Central Government had barred them from holding any government posts. The Antrix is the commercial arm of ISRO and Devas.

Headed by Pratyush Sinha, a former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, the committee report said that the Antrix-Devas deal lacked transparency and recommended that action needs to be taken against Nair, A Bhaskaranarayana, K R Sridhara Murthi and K N Shankara.

The five-member high level committee said in its report made public last night that “…there have not only been serious administrative and procedural lapses but also suggestion of collusive behaviour on the part of certain individuals and accordingly, responsibilities have to be fixed for taking action”.

The Pratyush Sinha committee, set up on 31st May last year to examine the deal and identify the acts of omission and commission by government officials, said choosing Devas for the deal “seems to be lacking in transparency and due diligence”.

The report stated “the approval process (for the deal) was riddled with incomplete and inaccurate information given to the union cabinet and the Space Commission”.

While the Antrix-Devas agreement was signed on 28th January 2005, “this fact was not disclosed to the Space Commission or in the Cabinet note dated 27th November 2005, in which approval was sought for the launch of GSAT 6, one of the satellites to be build under the agreement”.