Material seized in Bokaro is not uranium, not radioactive: Ministry of External Affairs

Days after seven people were arrested by Bokaro police in Jharkhand on charges of ‘planning to possess and sell mineral uranium’, the Ministry of External Affairs said ‘the material seized was not uranium nor radioactive’. The foreign ministry’s statement was a response to Pakistan’s foreign ministry’s remarks to investigate the “seizure of nuclear material” after it emerged from Bokaro about “uranium material”. The Indian Express reported last week that Bokaro police had seized 6.4 kg of ‘uranium mineral’ from the two accused and arrested a total of seven people. A case has been registered against the accused under IPC sections 414 (Whoever voluntarily aids in concealment or disposal of property or causes to be stolen property), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention) and various it was done. Sections of the Atomic Energy Act. However, on the seizure of ‘doubtful mineral uranium’,

Asked how the police arrested seven people and also issued a press release stating the seizure of the mineral uranium, Jharkhand Police spokesperson Amol Homkar said: “More details are awaited.” Our response to media query on Pakistan’s official comment in response to media report on seizure of suspicious material (uranium) in Bokaro last week: https://t.co/IOhWbA7QOx pic.twitter.com/Y3jnpyOdyi — Arindam Bagchi (@arindambagchi) MEAIndia) June 10, 2021 Calls made to Bokaro Superintendent of Police Chandan Jha did not elicit any response. However, after the arrest, Jha initially said: “Seven persons have been arrested on the basis of their confessional statements of possessing mineral uranium.” Jha declined to comment on whether any other probe agency was involved and did not comment on whether he has sought custodial interrogation of the arrested accused. The Indian Express had obtained court records,

Where Bokaro police said that on June 2, after getting a ‘tip’ five people: Deepak Mahato, Pankaj Kumar, Mahabir Mahato, M Sharma, Krishan Kant had ‘gathered together’ and were planning. Sell ​​the banned mineral uranium illegally on the black market. The police were informed that ‘if they apprehend the five men, the mineral will be recovered and the operation may unravel’, the record said. The police then arrested two more accused and 6.4 kg of ‘mineral uranium’ from the possession of one of the accused. Harla police station in-charge Govind Prasad Gupta had then told the Indian Express: “All the seven were arrested on the morning of June 3. We are yet to arrest Munna from whom Anil and Bapi bought uranium.