TIA NEWS
CBI is reported to have quizzed former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan in connection with the alleged irregularities in an agreement between private multi-media company Devas and Antrix, the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation.
CBI sources,said that Radhakrishnan, who was also the chairman of Antrix, was examined for nearly two hours at Antrix’s office in Bengaluru. The move comes at a time when Antrix has been slapped a fine of about Rs 4,400 crore by International Arbitration Court for unilaterally terminating the contract with Devas which was planning to use the spectrum to launch satellite-based multimedia services on hand-held devices.
CBI had registered a case and submitted an FIR against the then Executive Director of Antrix KR Sridhara Murthi, MG Chandrasekhar and R Vishwanathan of Forge Advisors, Devas Multi-media Private Limited and unnamed officials of Antrix, ISRO and Department of Space in a designated court in Bengaluru.
The agency has slapped cases under various sections of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act against them. The Antrix-Devas deal had seen early exit of G Madhavan Nair as Chairman of ISRO as he was the Chairman of the Governing Council of Antrix when the deal was finalised. Devas has taken Antrix and the Government to International Court after its contract was cancelled by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2011.