THE CASE THAT WASN’T

Two decades after he was falsely booked for spying, Nambinarayanan still awaits justice

1994 Police arrest S. Nambinarayanan and D. Sasikumaran from Thiruvananthapuram for leaking secrets to two Maldivian women.

1994 Kerala forms SIT under DIG Siby Mathews for probe. Thiruvananthapuram IB team headed by Joint Director Mathew John, who was assisted by Deputy Director R.B. Sreekumar, helped SIT.

1995 Nambinarayanan is out on bail after spending 50 days in jail. CBI takes over the investigation at the state’s request.

1996 CBI finds the case false and recommends action against the IB and police officials. Ernakulam court lets off all the accused.

1996 New LDF government in Kerala orders reinvestigation of the case.

1998 Supreme Court cancels reinvestigation and upholds the court decision.

1999 The NDA government’s home ministry chargesheets nine IB officials. Kerala rejects action against its SIT.

2000 The ministry accepts the IB officers’ explanation and closes file.

2004 The UPA government orders another probe by K.M. Singh, director general, CISF.

2005 Singh’s report exonerates all the nine IB officials.

2012 The Oommen Chandy government drops all charges against the SIT officials.