The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is learnt to have informed the Jharkhand Government that the agency may take-up investigation of the uranium smuggling case if the chemical examination confirms that the seized item is a radioactive substance under prohibited category.
Notably, the Jharkhand Police claimed that on Thursday it arrested seven persons for possessing 6.4 kg substance said to be mineral uranium that they were planning to sell in the black market. Their arrest was made from Bokaro district and they were booked under Section 414 (voluntarily assisting in concealing or disposing of stolen property, 120B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention) of IPC besides relevant provisions of Atomic Energy Act.
The sample of the seized substance has been sent to Jaduguda unit of Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) to examine whether the seized material is uranium or something else. Senior Jharkhand Police officials also spoke to experts of UCIL who learnt to have said that the seized substance may be the uranium in highly diluted form or the wastage of processing of uranium. Jharkhand Police will wait for the report of UCIL to carry further investigation.
However, in the Press release and FIR lodged at Harla police station, the seized mineral has clearly been referred to as uranium made in America.
During the first round of operation police arrested Deepak Mahato, Pankaj Kumar, Mahabir Mahato, M Sharma and Krishna Kant.
Their arrest was made on the basis of Intelligence input received on June 2 that they have gathered to find customers for the mineral. Upon their interrogation police further arrested two of their associates Baapi Chandra and Anil Singh from two different locations.
Baapi Chandra was arrested near Vaibhav Hotel along with a very small quantity of prohibited minerals. Chandra told the police that Anil Singh is keeping the huge consignment. Police quickly tracked and arrested Singh along with 6.4 kg of mineral uranium kept in three packets. Both said that they received mineral uranium from a person named Munna alias Ishaq who is now absconding.