The CBI on Thursday examined the former chairman of the governing council of department of space’s Antrix Corporation Limited, Mr G.
The CBI on Thursday examined the former chairman of the governing council of department of space’s Antrix Corporation Limited, Mr G. Madhavan Nair, in connection with its investigations into the alleged irregularities in the multi-crore Antrix-Devas spectrum deal of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
Sources said Mr Nair was specifically asked about the details of the contract signed between Antrix Corporation and Devas Multimedia Private Limited on January 28, 2005 during his tenure as chairman of Isro and secretary, department of space. This controversial deal had seen early exit of Mr Madhavan Nair as chairman of Isro as he was the chairman of the governing council of department of space’s Antrix Corporation Limited when the deal was finalised.
The CBI in 2015 registered a case to probe the alleged loss of Rs 578 crore caused in 2005 to the exchequer by Mr K.R. Sridhara Murthi, former executive director of the department of space’s Antrix Corporation Limited, among others, who had allegedly manipulated the grant of a lucrative contract on the delivery of videos, multimedia and information services to mobile receivers and mobile phones using S-Band through GSAT-6 and GSAT-6A satellites and terrestrial systems in India to Devas Multi-media Private Limited. The agency in its FIR has alleged that the accused people had entered into a criminal conspiracy and the government officials abused their position by favouring Devas by giving them rights for delivery of videos, multimedia and information services to mobile phones using S-Band through GSAT-6 and GSAT-6A satellites and terrestrial systems in India, sources said.
The agency in its FIR had also alleged that a deal between Antrix and Devas was fixed in principle in January 2005 for the lease of S-Band transponders. However, the then executive director of Antrix signed it on behalf of Antrix six months later only after ensuring that Mr Chandrashekhar and Mr Vishwanathan were majority stakeholders in Devas multi-media. They continued in this position till 2008-09. “It is suspected that illegal gratification was paid to the accused public servants from the amount remitted from India as motive or reward for taking the aforementioned favour,” the agency alleged.
