The Hindu : National : Material seized by Lucknow police not uranium: AERB

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Sunday, Jun 03, 2007
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Material seized by Lucknow police not uranium: AERB

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has found that the material seized by the Lucknow police recently from four carriers is not uranium.

AERB Secretary Om Pal Singh, in a press note here on Saturday, said the Board had sent two experts to Lucknow with necessary instruments and they found prima facie that it was not the fissionable material.

To be tested at BARC

However, the substance would be tested at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) here to determine its chemical composition, Dr. Singh said.

The Lucknow police last Thursday seized 700 gm of the material suspected to be uranium and arrested four carriers, Sugreev Gupta, Bharat Bhushan, Devanand Pandey and Rajiv Mishra, all from Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh.

Lucknow Superintendent of Police B.P. Jogdand had said at a press conference that the police conducted all possible tests and ascertained that the material was certainly uranium but asserted that the finding of the BARC would be final.

Before arresting the carriers, the police had trailed them for several days.

The police arrested them posing as interested buyers and a special cell constable, who spoke Russian, posed as an Indian nuclear researcher based in Moscow.

Sample obtained

A sample was obtained by "striking a deal for Rs. 30 lakh," Mr. Jogdand had said.

The carriers were later arrested with the entire load.

They told the police that the `uranium' was received from an international smuggler, Jagdish alias Jaggu.

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