Bokaro police seize 6kg uranium; 7 held

DHANBAD: Bokaro police seized 6 kg uranium and arrested seven people from different places in the last 24 hours, a senior official said.

Arrested persons have been identified as Bapi Chandra, Anil Singh, Dipak Kumar, Krishna Kant Rana, Hare Ram Sharma, Mahaveer Mahto, Pankaj Mahto.

Bokaro superintendent of police (SP) Chandan Kumar Jha said that besides uranium, police also seized seven mobile phones and bike from arrested criminals.

The SP said that after getting a tip-off about uranium being sold in large quantity and bought in the city, raids were conducted at different places.

“Officer-in-charge of Harla police station Govind Prasad Gupta arrested seven persons with uranium. FIR has been lodged against them under Sections 414/20B of the IPC and 24 1 (a) atomic energy Act. Officials are further investigating details of the involvement of people as well as a banned organisation in it.

The uranium was being delivered in Bokaro, a raid was conducted at the house of one Hare Ram Sharma in Rajendra Nagar on Wednesday evening.

“Though police got nothing from the house of one Hare Ram Sharma, on his disclosure, we raided two other houses in Jaina More and Jaridih colony and recovered uranium in large quantity,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

An official said teams of four police stations, Jaina More, Jaridih, Harla and Balidih, conducted the raid. Police are also investigating the Naxals connection and exploring the possibility of uranium being brought for a banned organisation active in the region.