With confirmatory report of State Forensic Science lab (SFSl) on the plastic explosive (PETN) found in the assembly on July 12 awaited, officials preferred to play safe maintaining that the report will clear the doubt.
Well placed sources said that contradictory versions on the report on PETN did not go down well the state government. They said that some officials including Director of SFSl, SB Upadhyay has been asked to explain the faux pas. A confirmatory report on the PETN is expected to be available on Thursday.
The issue remained a hot topic of discussion among bureaucrats on Wednesday. While the controversy raged on whether the substance found was indeed PETN, Director of SFSl, SB Upadhaya surfaced as the fall guy.
“Upadhyay’s past had started to hunt him. He was accused of financial bunglings when he was posted as Director of SFSl in Patna (Bihar). His credibility has come under a huge cloud after his claim on the substance to be PETN which got mired in controversy,” sources said.
Earlier, the UP government had said that the powdery substance detected in Assembly had tested positive for explosive PETN during preliminary examination at the State Forensic Science laboratory in lucknow.
Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar had dismissed reports that the substance was not found to be PETN in tests conducted at Forensic Science laboratory (FSl), Agra saying that no sample has been sent to the Agra lab as it did not have equipment to conduct requisite tests. He also said that the report of two confirmatory tests conducted at SFSl in lucknow were expected by Thursday.
The Home Secretary quoted from the SFSl report which said, ‘the substance was insoluble in water and different reagents confirmed presence of a nitrate and that the preliminary test conducted using explosive detection kit was positive for PETN’.
“Two confirmatory tests are being conducted at SFSl, lucknow — Infrared Spectrum and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrum, the report of which is still awaited and is likely to come by Thursday,” he had added.
About 150 grams of white powdery explosive PETN (Pentaerythritol tetranitrate) was found wrapped in a paper close to the seat of the leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Choudhary on July 12.