CBI quizzes Isro ex-chief in Antrix scam

Former Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair was questioned by the CBI on Thursday in connection with a probe into the Rs 578 crore Antrix scam.

The case is probing the charges of Rs 578-crore wrongful gain to a private multi-media company Devas by Antrix, the commercial arm of the Isro.

Sources said the CBI asked Nair about the details of the contract signed between Antrix Corporation and Devas Multimedia on January 28, 2005 during his tenure as chairman of Isro and secretary of Department of Space.

The CBI registered a case last year and carried out searches at the premises of Devas as well as the then executive director of Antrix K R Sridhara Murthi in Bengaluru.

The charges include criminal conspiracy, cheating and relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act against them. The accused included M G Chandrasekhar and R Vishwanathan of Forge Advisors, Devas Multimedia and unnamed officials of Antrix, Isro and Department of Space in a designated court in Bengaluru.

As per the FIR, 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.