MARIAM RASHEEDA:

Chief Minister Nayanar plans to approach the court for a review of the case. Does that worry you?

According to my information, Nayanar believes there is no case. But he is under pressure from his partymen to do something.

Is it true that Fauzia Hassan has admitted on video that she had received a cover from ISRO scientist Sasikumaran?

The police threatened to rape Fauzia's daughter in front of her. She was frightened and she cooked up a story in front of the camera.

Did you meet any of your ISRO friends after your release?

No. I am not interested in meeting them. They are not of my standard. I made a mistake in talking to them. I talked to them without knowing who they were. When I met Sasikumaran I thought he was a doctor. I didn't know he was a scientist. He didn't tell me he was a scientist.

The police say you were an agent for the Maldives government and that you were keeping track of other Maldivian nationals in Kerala.

That is not true. The police forced me to sign many blank papers. I was beaten. When I was taken before the magistrate I was too frightened to reveal the police cruelties.

D Sasikumaran:


You have been exonerated by the court, but has the case set you back professionally?

At a personal level, I am keen to get back to my job slot. I was the man responsible for the cryogenic engine in terms of fabricating and manufacturing it. I want to come back to the cryogenic project. Because of the case I was transferred to the Satellite Application Centre at Ahmedabad, which has nothing to do with the cryogenic project.

Do you think the country's commercial interest was at stake when you and Nambi Narayanan were removed from your posts?

China walked away with contracts that India could have got. India has the potential to be a major player in the world market for the 500 kg satellite. We could have quoted prices well below countries like the US and France. If the Launch Vehicle Programme is delayed, someone else benefits. At the time of the case, I was in charge of the PSLV-4 stage liquid engine while Nambi Narayanan was the overall in-charge of the cryogenic project.

It has been suggested that the ISRO case was the result of an international conspiracy to slow down India's progress in satellite technology.

It is a pursuable theory. When the case broke, the local Intelligence Bureau chaps were satisfied that we had nothing to do with it. But the IB man who came from Delhi came with fixed ideas which they wanted to build on.

What was your connection with Mariam Rasheeda?

It was a purely social contact. I have no restriction in interacting with anyone. It is my right and I will continue to do so.

How do you meet the charge that you had access to sensitive documents not pertaining to your department?

ISRO is like any other government organisation. If ISRO wants to buy a product, it approaches the market. Anybody who buys a tendering document gets all the information, including the drawings. ISRO technologies are available to any Indian. We have given away 260 technologies to people who have approached us. As far as documents are concerned, it is a totally free-flow situation at ISRO.

Narayanan was charged with leaking vital defense secrets to two alleged Maldivian intelligence officers, Mariam Rasheeda and Fauzia Hassan. Defense officials said the secrets pertained to highly confidential ."flight test data" from experiments with rocket and satellite launches

Khalsa-net