Former State Police Chief T.P. Senkumar has found himself in the centre of a bitter political controversy after he questioned the Central government’s decision to confer Padma Bhushan on former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist Nambi Narayanan.
While noted persons across the political spectrum viewed the award as moral recompense long overdue to a scientist who had been wrongly implicated in the so-called ISRO spy scandal case, Mr. Senkumar took an opposite and, arguably, harsh view of the top endowment.
Notably, Mr. Senkumar is a defendant in a libel case filed by Mr. Narayanan. The scientist had accused the officer of having damaged his reputation by seeking a further investigation in the ''ISRO espionage case'' without adducing any fresh evidence and overlooking the discharge report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
(The E.K. Nayanar-led LDF government in 1997 had tasked Mr. Senkumar to reinvestigate the case soon after the CBI found no merit in it).
Mr. Senkumar compared the Centre’s decision to bestow the recognition on Mr. Narayanan as ‘‘adding a drop of poison to Amrit,’’ the mythical potion in Hindu lore that guaranteed immortality. He doubted Mr. Narayanan’s credential as a scientist.
A committee appointed by the Supreme Court was due to examine the case again. He said if Mr. Narayanan’s qualification was a yardstick for awarding Padma Bhushan, then rape case accused and suspected spies would qualify for the honour.
Left leaders unanimously condemned the comment as harsh and unwarranted and also a slight to Presidential authority.
Mr. Senkumar had earned their ire earlier by politically associating himself with the Sangh Parivar on the Sabarimala issue. Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture K.J. Alphons appeared critical of Mr. Senkumar without naming him.
‘‘It is in the DNA of Keralites to belittle those who get national recognition,’’ he said. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and BJP State president chose not to comment. CPI(M) legislator M. Suraj faulted Mr. Senkumar but said that Mr. Alphons had insulted Kerala.
Mr. Naarayanan, who had endured hard interrogation humiliating incarceration and unflattering media coverage after he was implicated in the false case in 1994, was stoic in his reaction.
He said perhaps Mr. Senkumar had misread the Supreme Court order. It had constituted the committee headed by former jusge of the Supreme Court D.K. Jain to find ‘‘ways and means’’ to prosecute officers who slapped the false case on him and to look into the possible conspiracy that dashed reputations and ruined several innocent lives.
