As far as I am concerned the fight's over: Nambi
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 14 : Hours after the Supreme Court on Friday awarded him Rs 50 lakh compensation for the sufferings and ignominy he underwent after being arrested in an espionage case, former ISRO scientist S. Nambi Narayanan said the fight was finally over for him.
"I am happy that a (three-member) committee, and not a commission, has been formed to conduct an inquiry. Till now, it was a fight, but it's over now. I want to live for myself now. Enough is enough," he said.
Narayanan had moved the apex court for a probe into the false case foisted on him by Kerala Police and other agencies.
He had challenged a Kerala High Court judgment that upheld the state's decision not to take action against officials who falsely implicated him in the case, forcing him to stay behind bars for 50 days.
"It was a long-fought case, or rather a judicial war. Let the committee come out with the conspiracy behind the case. With this verdict, police officials should realise that they cannot escape their actions," Narayanan said.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud awarded him the compensation and directed for setting up of the committee led by former apex court Judge D.K. Jain to inquire into the role of officials for implicating him in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spy case.
These officials include then Inspector General of Police Siby Mathews and then Deputy Superintendents of Police K.K. Joshua and S. Vijayan.
The former ISRO scientist said he hoped that the committee will finish its job in three to six months.
He said that Rs 50 lakh will be paid by the state government and it's up to the state to decide if the money needs be recovered from the erring police officials.
The ISRO spy case surfaced in 1994 when Narayanan was arrested on charge of espionage along with another top ISRO official, two Maldivian women and a businessman.
After the CBI cleared him in 1995, he fought a legal battle against Mathews and other officials who probed the case.
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Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament early Friday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on Thursday approved the Bill after over a 12-hour debate.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected.
In the lower house, the bill was supported by 288 MPs while 232 voted against it.
Participating in a debate in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders.
"The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
He, however, said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
Rijiju also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties, and not the BJP, were trying to scare Muslims with the Waqf Bill.
"You (opposition) are pushing Muslims out of the mainstream," he added.
He said for 60 years, the Congress and others ruled the country, but did not do much for Muslims and the community continues to live in poverty.
"Muslims are poor, who is responsible? You (Congress) are. Modi is now leading the government to uplift them," the minister said.
According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.
As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.
A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.
The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.
It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.
The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.
It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.
