October 22, 2019
CBI said that a deal between Antrix and Devas
It is alleged that the accused people had entered into a criminal conspiracy and
the government officials abused their position by favouring Devas by giving them
rights for delivery of videos, multimedia and information services to mobile
phones using S-Band through GSAT-6 and GSAT-6A satellites and terrestrial
systems in India."Information regarding the agreement between Antrix Corporation
Limited and Devas Multimedia Limited was suppressed from the Cabinet and the
wrong information regarding utilisation of satellite capacity was given to the
Cabinet with respect to multiple expressions of interest though the agreement
was signed with Devas Multimedia without any multiple expressions of interest.
They continued in this position till 2008-09.CBI has alleged that when a
proposal seeking budgetary support of Rs 269 crore for approving design,
manufacture and launch of GSAT-6/INSAT-4E (PS1) was placed in the 104th meeting
of the Space Commission on May 26, 2005, it was not informed that the agreement
had already taken place with Devas Multimedia for leading out the S-Band.The
agency has slapped 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal
Code and relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act against them.ED is
probing the financial transactions in the Antrix-Devas deal which included
authenticity of a few Mauritius-based entities who had stakes in Devas
Multimedia Pvt Ltd.The accused officials "thus caused wrongful gain of Rs 578
crore" to the private firm and its owners, CBI alleged.
CBI said in its FIR that
after alleged omissions and commissions on the part of accused persons surfaced,
the agreement dated January 28, 2005 was annulled by Antrix Corporation in
accordance with the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security headed China
famous Fiberglass insulated ladder by the then Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh.It alleged that on November 17, 2005 a note for the Cabinet was submitted
for building the GSAT-6 satellite as earlier approved by the Space Commission.
Former ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair was summoned to the CBI headquarters for
questioning."The approval of Space Commission was obtained by keeping it in
dark," CBI alleged in its FIR. However, the then Executive Director of Antrix
signed it on behalf of Antrix six months later only after ensuring that
Chandrashekhar and Vishwanathan were majority stakeholders in Devas
multi-media.
CBI had registered a case last year and carried out searches at the
premises of Devas Limited as well as the then Executive Director of Antrix K R
Sridhara Murthi in Bengaluru. The proposal was approved by the Cabinet in
December 2005," it said. New Delhi: CBI on Thursday questioned former ISRO
Chairman G Madhavan Nair in connection with the case registered by the agency
for probing alleged Rs 578-crore "wrongful" gain to a private multi-media
company Devas by Antrix, the commercial arm of ISRO.Nair was summoned to the CBI
headquarters on Thursday morning and asked about the details of the contract
signed between Antrix Corporation and Devas Multimedia Private Limited on
January 28, 2005 during his tenure as chairman of ISRO and Secretary, Department
of Space.
The Antrix-Devas deal had seen early exit of Nair as Chairman of ISRO
as he was the Chairman of the Governing Council of Antrix when the deal was
finalised.CBI has alleged that Devas with the intent to siphon off the amount
from its bank accounts in India got a subsidiary named Devas USA incorporated in
USA and a substantial part of the "wrongful" gain was remitted to Devas USA on
the pretext of services, salaries etc. (Representational Image) Madhavan Nair
was asked about details of contract signed between Antrix Corporation and Devas
Multimedia Pvt Ltd in 2005.
CBI said that a deal between Antrix and Devas was
fixed in principle in January 2005 for lease of S-Band transponders.An FIR was
lodged against Murthi, M G Chandrasekhar and R Vishwanathan of Forge Advisors,
Devas Multi-media Private Limited and unnamed officials of Antrix, ISRO and
Department of Space in a designated court in Bengaluru.The change in the board,
where a US company represented by Chandrashekar and Vishwanathan had majority
stakes, was never verified by Antrix as the agreement had been in violation of
Shankara Committee which had recommended execution of any such agreement with an
Indian company only, it was contended..Madhavan Nair was asked about details of
contract signed between Antrix Corporation and Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd in
2005."It is suspected that the illegal gratification was paid to the accused
public servants from the amount remitted from India as motive or reward for
taking the aforementioned favour," the agency alleged
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