ISRO espionage case: SC cancels anticipatory bail to ex-officials

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the Kerala High Court's orders granting anticipatory bail to former police and intelligence bureau officers in the case connected with the framing of scientist Nambi Narayanan in the 1994 ISRO espionage case.

A bench headed by Justice M.R. Shah, said that "all the appeals are allowed, the impugned judgments are hereby quashed and set aside".

It further said that all the anticipatory bail applications are remitted to the high court to decide it afresh in accordance with law and in the light of the observations made in the judgment.

The bench said that it has not observed anything on the merits of the case and it is for the high court to pass the order.

"We request the high court to finally decide and dispose of the anticipatory bail applications at the earliest, but preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of these orders."

The detailed copy of the judgment will be uploaded later.

The apex court also granted protection from arrest to the accused for a period of five weeks, subject to their cooperation with the investigation, which is an interim arrangement till the high court finally decides the matter.

In November, the Supreme Court had reserved the judgment on two petitions filed by the CBI challenging the grant of anticipatory bail by the Kerala High Court to former DGP Siby Mathews, P.S. Jayaprakash, and others.