No vendetta against Nair, says ISRO chief Radhakrishnan

New York Statesman (ANI) Monday 6th February, 2012

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan on Monday said that there has been no vendetta behind blacklisting his predecessor G Madhavan Nair and three other scientists in connection with the controversial Antrix-Devas deal.

Refuting Nair's allegations that the Pratyush Sinha-led committee's report was one said and inaccurate, Radhakrishnan said: "Whatever we wanted to say on the subject, we have put on the website. There is a full report and recommendations of the second report, and there is a four-page statement. I don't want to add anything more. There is nothing personal in it."

Earlier, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V Narayanasamy had also severely criticised Nair, saying that he was misleading the nation when he said he was not heard by the investigation panel.

Narayansamy said that Nair had met the then Central Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha while the reports were still being prepared.

"Madhavan Nair misled the nation, saying that he was not given an opportunity to explain. But the Pratyush Sinha committee report clearly mentions that there was a personal hearing of Madhavan Nair and he was heard. Therefore, the principle of natural justice has been followed in his case. The other scientists also were given the questionnaire and they have replied. If they feel that they have been aggrieved, they can give a petition to the government," said Narayanasamy.

The government had banned four scientists - Nair, former scientific secretary at ISRO K Bhaskaranarayana, former managing director of ISRO's commercial arm Antrix KR Sridharamurthi, and former director of ISRO satellite centre KN Shankara - from holding any government jobs over their allegedly involved in 2005 deal between Devas and ISRO's marketing wing Antrix.

The deal involved allocation of scarce S-band spectrum to a private firm and the former ISRO scientists have been accused of irregularities in the deal.

Several questions were raised on 'preferential allotment' of spectrum to Devas without auctions in the deal. In February 2011 the deal between Antrix and Devas was cancelled

ISRO had on Saturday made the investigation reports on the Devas-Antrix deal public which held the four scientists guilty of a breach of public trust and recommended action against them.

The reports said that the deal lacked transparency and ISRO didn't consult Department of Telecom. (ANI)