Space agency scam: Ex ISRO chief calls charges against him 'stupid'

Coimbatore: Former ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair today termed as “the stupidest thing to happen to anybody”, the charges levelled against him over the Antrix-Devas deal.

“That is the stupidest thing to happen to anybody,” he told reporters to a specific question on his indictment over the ISRO-Devas deal. He, however, refused to elaborate his statement as the case is sub-judice.

Nair, who was addressing students of Sri Krishna Institution on ’technological challenges for national development’, also refused to comment on ISRO’s Man Moon Mission, a project proposed by him.

However, he said there should be more budget allocation for such projects and also leadership of calibre to take forward such a mission. On February 4, 2012 a committee set up by ISRO indicted Nair and three other senior scientists, who were barred from holding any government posts, for “acts of commission” in the deal.

The report prepared by a five-member committee headed by Pratyush Sinha, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner said the deal lacked transparency and recommended action against Nair, A Bhaskaranarayana, K R Sridhara Murthi and K N Shankara – all of whom have retired.

It said the terms of Antrix-Devas contract “were heavily loaded in favour of Devas”. Antrix is ISRO’s commercial venture and Devas is a private firm and the controversial deal has since been annulled.

PTI