Nambi Narayanan

Who is Nambi Narayanan

Nambi Narayanan is an Indian scientist who was born into a middle-class Tamil brahmin family on 12 December 1941 in Nagercoil (present-day Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu). He was the first boy in a middle-class family, after five girls. His mother stayed at home to look after the children. He completed his schooling from there. His family roots traces to Tirukurungudi village in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu.

Nambi Narayanan's early days

Nambi was a good student since beginning and topped his senior class. He went to an engineering school, got a degree. After degree he started working in a sugar factory for a while. Later he joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). He has always had a fascination for aircrafts and flying objects. he won a scholarship to study rocket propulsion systems at Princeton University, United States of America. He rejoined the ISRO when he returned home a year later. He worked with scientists like Vikram Sarabhai- father of indian space agency.

The fake spy scandal against Nambi Narayanan

The fake spy scandal that blew up a rocket scientist’s career. In 1994, Narayanan was charged with leaking vital defence secrets to two alleged Maldivian intelligence officers, Mariam Rasheeda and Fauzia Hassan. Narayanan was among two scientists (the other being D. Sasikumaran) that were accused of selling the secrets for millions. However, his house seemed nothing out of the ordinary and did not show signs of the corrupt gains he was accused of.
Dr. Nambi Narayanan was a senior scientist of ISRO who was heading the project of developing an indigenous cryogenic engine for the GSLV. Before that, he had played an important role in the development of the VIKAS engine for the PSLV alongside Dr. Vasant Govariker.
Narayanan was framed in a false accusation under the Official Secrets Act, for possession and leaking of sensitive information about the cryogenic program of ISRO. He was arrested and was interrogated by Sibi Mathews, and other police officials during which he was subjected to heavy physical torture over 50 days.

What happened to Nambi Narayanan ?

The charges against him were dismissed by the CBI, and the Supreme Court of India also declared him not guilty. In May 1996, After the investigation all the charges were dismissed by the CBI. They were also dismissed by the Supreme Court.
In 1998, When Mr Narayanan sued the Kerala government for framing him, a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra ordered The Kerala government to pay Rs. 50 lakh in compensation within eight weeks for the "mental cruelty" Mr. Narayanan suffered all these years by the Kerala Police.

The Government of Kerala has decided to give him Rs 1.3 crore as compensation.

The same governments that continued to hound him by challenging court orders have now given him monetary compensation.

The top officer involved in the case, Siby Mathews, was later appointed Chief Information Commissioner in Kerala (2011 - 2016).

In 2018, the Supreme Court ordered an investigation into the role of the Kerala police in the fabrication of the case against him.

“I had a dream of developing a cryogenic system and making India a space power. That dream is finished for the time being and that can never be given back to me,” he said.

“That dream is gone. This entire case was not for compensation. The SC was kind enough to order it and it has helped me, of course, in paying back some loans, etc. I’m unhappy because of the first part, but I will be happy if the case reaches the logical conclusion so that no one dares to do this again,” he said.

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect movie based on Nambi Narayanan

In October 2018, a biographical film titled Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, written and co-directed by R. Madhavan, was announced. R. Madhavan is playing the Nambi Narayanan character. The trailer of the film was released on 1st April 2021 and its gaining huge support from audience. The film is scheduled to be released in summer-2021.

Trailer

Prestigious Padma Bhushan award- 2019 (third-highest civilian award)

Mr Narayanan was awarded India's prestigious Padma Bhushan award in 2019 by President Ram Nath Kovind. Padma Bhushan award is third-highest civilian award in India.

Padma award to Nambi Narayanan