The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed a chargesheet against former Indian Space Research Organisation chief G Madhavan Nair in the Antrix-Devas case. The CBI had questioned Nair in May in connection with the case it registered regarding the Rs 578-crore scam. The case alleges wrongful gain to private company Devas Multimedia Private Ltd.
Nair was also the chairman of Antrix, ISRO’s commercial arm, when the agreement was struck on January 28, 2005. The deal gave Devas rights for delivery of videos, multimedia and information services to mobile phones using S-Band transponders through GSAT-6 and GSAT-6A satellites and terrestrial systems in India, NDTV reported.
An FIR was also lodged against KR Sridhara Murthi, managing director of Antrix, MG Chandrasekhar and R Vishwanathan of Forge Advisors, and other officials of Devas, Antrix, ISRO and the Department of Space at a court in Bengaluru. The case was filed under sections pertaining to criminal conspiracy, cheating and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In 2012, the Centre banned four scientists, including Nair, from any reemployment with the government after it scrapped the deal.
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