The high-level committee headed by former CVC Pratyush Sinha has claimed “serious administrative and procedural lapses” and “suggestion of collusive behaviour on the part of certain individuals.”

The committee, which also had present ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan and three others as members, has recommended investigation against the Bangalore-based Devas Multimedia.

The 2005 deal related to allocation of S-band radio frequencies by Antrix, ISRO’s commercial arm, to Devas for delivering multimedia and information services via satellite and terrestrial systems to mobile receivers.

Based on the recommendations of the Sinha report, the government, in a January 13 order, had barred Nair, former scientific secretary in ISRO A Bhaskaranarayana, former managing director of Antrix K R Sridhara Murthi and former director of ISRO Satellite Centre K N Sankara from taking any government position, either current or in future.

The main findings of the committee:

No consultations were held with any other government department before finalising the deal, including with DoT regarding utility of this technology for other purposes, other possible requirements for satellite capacity and other possible service providers and regulatory requirements.

ISRO did not adequately publicise its intent for supporting such a service. Even though India’s SATCOM policy allows leasing of a satellite capacity on a first-come first-served basis, ISRO should have made an effort to identify other possible partners as well who were providing similar services in other countries.

The process of obtaining approval for two satellites, G-SAT6 and G-SAT6A, which were to be used almost exclusive by Devas “was riddled with incomplete and inaccurate information given to Cabinet and Space Commission”. Cost of G-SAT6A was deliberately calculated in a way that it did not need to go to the cabinet for clearance.

Terms of Antrix Devas deal heavily loaded in favour of Devas.

This is what the committee had to say about Nair and three other blacklisted scientists. “There is no doubt that in this matter the responsibility is spread over a number of officials and many have been negligent in attending to their responsibility in steering and guiding the entire decision making. However, G Madhavan Nair, A Bhaskaranarayana and K R Sridhara Murthi, (were) the individuals who were mainly responsible for leading the DoS and Antrix into this arrangement. We would like the government to take necessary action against them under the relevant sections of the Pension Rules or any other provision of law.

“In the case of Sankara, who headed the committee and recommended the broad terms of agreement, later found to be heavily in favour of Devas, it is clear that he went about his job with the clear intention of suggesting an arrangement that would be acceptable to Devas. To that extent, he was guilty of not considering all the implications of the agreement he was recommending.”