With steps already being initiated to beef up the security of Assembly, controversy surfaced on Tuesday after suspicion was raised whether the powder recovered from the House was indeed the plastic explosive `PETN’ or some other simple powder.
With sleuths of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) being tight-lipped, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said that primarily report the substance as identified as PETN but they were still waiting for a detailed report.
The government has already become pro-active after the FSl preliminary report and cancelled passes (entry and vehicle passes) of all former MlAs and other temporary ones for entry to the Vidhan Sabha.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also recommended a probe by National Investigation Agency (NIA) besides taking several measures for security enhancement.
Sources said that after preliminary finding of lucknow Forensic laboratory, samples of the powder recovered was also sent to Agra and Hyderabad. The lucknow FSl also conducted further tests to confirm the potency of the explosive.
However, controversy arose when some media reports suggested that the Agra FSl confirmed that the powder was not PETN or any explosive. The reports also pointed that since Director of lucknow FSl, Shyam Bihari Upadhya was involved in several irregularities and a prosecution order was also issued against him, he distorted the report and claimed it to be PETN just on the basis of preliminary test, sending shock waves in the government and the state machinery.
It may be mentioned here that several irreularities, the state government has so far opted to keep Upadhya as the Director of the laboratory.
After the controversy, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar came out with a clarification on Tuesday morning saying, “Reports have been carried in some sections of media that in tests conducted at FSl Agra, the substance detected in UP Assembly hall, was not found to be PETN. It is to clarify that no sample has been sent to FSl Agra as they do not have the machines/wherewithal to conduct requisite tests.”
Kumar added that the factual position is that FSl lucknow in its report dated July 14, two days after the recovery of the power, found the substance as water insoluble, containing a nitrate, and preliminary test conducted using explosive detection kit identified it as PETN.
Kumar further said that two confirmatory tests were being conducted at FSl lucknow - Infrared Spectrum and Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrum, the report of which was still awaited and was likely by Thursday.
Interestingly, a senior ATS officer claimed on Tuesday that they too wanted to get the powder rechecked in some other lab but they were waiting for National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take up the probe.
In case the NIA not took over the probe in the next two days, they will go ahead with cross verification of the powder. A senior NIA official, when contacted, said that the order for taking over probe was likely to be issued either by Tuesday night or Wednesday.
When asked about the controversy over recovery of PETN, he said that after taking over thr probe, the `powder’ will be examined again by some agency with expertise.