CBI can now act against ex-Isro chairman G. Madhavan Nair for Devas-Antrix deal

The CBI on Monday told a court here that it has got sanction to try three former ISRO officials including ex-chairman G. Madhavan Nair in the Devas-Antrix deal case. The CBI told Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal that the three accused were Nair, former ISRO Director A. Bhaskar Narayana Rao and former Antrix Executive Director K.R. Sridhara Murthi. The court listed June 1 to consider the chargesheet filed in the case. The Central Bureau of Investigation filed a chargesheet on August 11 last year alleging a loss of Rs 578 crore to the exchequer in the deal. The deal was inked between private multimedia company Devas and Antrix, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Former Managing Director of US-based Forge Advisors and CEO of Devas Ramachandra Vishwanathan, then Director of Devas M.G. Chandrasekhar, three former directors of Bangalore-based Devas Multi-media and Murthi were also chargesheeted. The CBI accused them of hatching a criminal conspiracy with an intent to cause undue gains to themselves or others by abusing their official position and causing loss to Antrix Corp and ISRO. A case was registered against the accused on March 16, 2015. The Antrix-Devas deal saw an early exit of Nair as ISRO Chairman since he was the head of Antrix Governing Council when the deal was finalised in January 2005.