Trials and tribulations

Kerala: The continuing ordeal of
two Maldivian women who were
accused of espionage (The Week)

VINU ABRAHAM in Thiruvananthapuram


Mariam Rasheeda and Fouzia Hassan have been in jail for three years. Even though the CBI, which investigated the sensational ISRO spy scandal, closed the case after failing to find any incriminating evidence against them and the other accused, the Maldivian women continue to languish in Viyyur jail near Thrissur.

Fighting for freedom Mariam Rasheeda being brought to the Thiruvananthpuram judicial magistrate's court

Dashing their hopes of freedom, the Left Democratic Front government has ordered the reopening of the case which plunged the state's political and scientific circles into unprecedented turmoil. The accused have gone to the Supreme Court against this decision.

The other accused in the case, scientists Sasikumaran and Nambi Narayanan, businessmen Chandrasekharan and Susil Kumar Sharma and IPS officer Raman Srivastava, have been let off and allowed to resume their careers. But the two women had no such luck as the state home department detained them under the National Security Act (NSA). Mariam had managed to get bail from the first class judicial magistrate court in Thiruvananthapuram on September 6 but the state government sent her back to the Viyyur jail.

Mariam was in tears when she learnt about her impending arrest under NSA after she procured bail from the judicial magistrate in the defamation case filed by some police officers (they took objection to her remarks in magazine interviews). "This is more than I can bear,"she said. "As a Maldivian who is indebted to India for rescuing our nation at a critical time, can I ever do something that is against the interests of this nation? I love India so much, yet..."Her grief doesn't allow her to complete the sentence.Under NSA, anybody can be kept in prison without trial for one year. So, unless the Supreme Court stops the state government from reopening the case, she will be in jail for another year.

The ordeal of the women began three years ago after Mariam was arrested in Thiruvananthapuram because her visa had expired. After they found an ISRO scientist's telephone number in her diary, the IB and the RAW launched an extensive investigation into her activities in India before concluding that the Maldivian women had made Sasikumaran and Nambi Narayanan part with the details of the country's missile technology. They named two businessmen of Bangalore as accomplices in the crime, Chandra-sekharan, a liaison man of a Russian space agency and S.K. Sharma, his friend. Their most sensational 'catch' was Raman Srivastava, then IG, southern range, Kerala, who was alleged to be the kingpin of the racket.

The detention of Mariam and Fouzia in Viyyur prison even after the CBI clearing them of the espionage charge has made several cultural and social stalwarts take the government to task. Many now believe that the CPI(M)-led government is continuing with the case primarily to settle political scores.Recently, the state women's commission headed by eminent writer Sugathakumari took up the issue of the women's continued detention in response to a petition by Mariam. The commission also investigated allegations that the women were harassed by police officials during their interrogation.

But the state government adopted the stand that it would be improper for it to accept the commission's report when the issue was pending before the Supreme Court. A top government official said that while the rulers were interested in reopening the case for political reasons some key police officials wanted the CBI finding to be reversed to prevent the accused from initiating defamatory proceedings against them.

It appears that their lives will be no less unpleasant if they are freed and forced to stay in India till the defamation cases are disposed of. Both are deeply concerned about their safety outside the prison and want to leave for the Maldives as soon as they are freed.

Sugathakumari, chairperson of state women's commission, shares their concern. "The women's commission too fears that the women's lives are in danger outside the prison,"she said. "But the commission cannot guarantee security for them outside the prison as we don't have personnel to ensure their safety."

The widespread feeling is that the women have suffered enough whether they were guilty of any crime or not. But the state government is in no mood to let the 'guests' return to their country.