THE Supreme Court on Thursday ordered that the report of a high-level committee on the role of erring police officials in 1994 espionage case relating to ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan be given to the CBI and directed the agency to conduct further investigation on the issue. The apex court said the CBI may treat the panel’s findings as part of preliminary investigation and asked the agency to submit its report to the court within three months. A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar said the report of the three-member panel, headed by former top court judge Justice (retd) D K Jain, be kept in a sealed cover and it should not be published.

 

 

 

 

The top court rejected the submission of former DGP Siby Mathews, who was then heading the SIT probe team, that he was not heard by the committee while Narayanan was heard. The bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Krishna Murari, said the committee was not to adjudicate the matter but it had to go through circumstantial evidence and form a prima facie view on the acts of omission and commission of erring officials.