New Delhi: 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, police said today.
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 condition. Strict guidelines have been formulated by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. It appears DU has not followed it," a senior police official said.
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 was already registered on April eight and names will be added to it after investigations only.
"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 there had been "negligence" 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 was the negligence, when the source was brought, with whose permission the source was bought and who was using it", he said.
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