Radioactive radiation: DU was negligent, say cops

A 'negligent' Delhi University disposed of radioactive material in an auction without following proper procedure, leaving common people to face the risk of being exposed to radiation, the police said on Thursday.

The origin of radioactive Cobalt-60 found in west Delhi's Mayapuri, which led to the death of one person, has been traced to Delhi University's chemistry department, where it was lying unused since the last 25 years.

The Cobalt-60 was in a 'Gamma Irradiator', which was bought in 1968 from Canada and was not in use since 1985. It was bought by a scrap dealer in Mayapuri through an auction on February 26 this year.

"Negligence was there. Radioactive materials should be disposed off in controlled conditions. Strict guidelines have been formulated by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. It appears DU has not followed it," a senior police official said.

The police have already seized the log register and documents related to the auction on February 26 when the 3000-kg Gamma Irradiator was sold for Rs 1.5 lakh to scrap dealer Haracharan Singh Bhola.

Asked whether they will register a case of negligence against DU authorities, the official said the case had already been registered on April 8 and names will be added to it after investigations.

"You cannot blame the scrap dealers. They are not experts and there was nothing to suggest to them that the equipment they bought was dangerous if mishandled. The onus was on the university," the official said.

Delhi University Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental admitted 'negligence' on the varsity's part, as the radioactive substance found its way out of the university's chemistry department to the scrap market.

"We have to go into it and inquire into this -- in a very systematic method -- to find out where the negligence was, when the source was brought, with whose permission the source was bought and who was using it", he said.