Stolen material not uranium: IIT

CHENNAI, SEPT 22: The Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, has submitted that the material seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from three persons in July last contained only ilmenite and silica and that there was no detectable radioactive substance.

The analysis report, submitted by the IIT to the 10th Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Egmore, on Friday, had stated that the tests using X-ray diffraction indicated that all the samples contained ilmenite as the major phase along with silica. Elemental analysis using Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) showed presence of iron and titanium as the major constituents. However, traces of uranium were also present, the report indicated.

It may be recalled that the CBI had arrested three persons, Arun of K K Nagar and S Murthy and C Mohan belonging to Erode and seized 6 kg of material suspected to be uranium stolen from the atomic stations at Kalpakkam.

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However, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) Director PlacidRodrigues had stoutly denied that the material was uranium or that it had come from Kalpakkam.

Charging that the IGCAR had given its preliminary report and later deviated from it, the CBI approached the court and sought a second opinion in the matter and pleaded for a direction to IIT, Madras, and the Uranium Corporation of India, Bihar, to analyse the material.