Latest News | Material Seized in Kolkata Last Week Not Radioactive Californium: DAE Clarifies

Mumbai, Sep 3 (PTI) The Department of Atomic Energy on Friday clarified that the material found from two persons in Kolkata was non-radioactive and not the highly expensive 'californium' as suspected earlier.

The persons were arrested from Kolkata airport by the West Bengal police last Thursday with 250 grams of what was then suspected to be californium worth Rs 4,250 crore, as per media reports.

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“After inspection of the material and relevant laboratory analyses of the material, the DAE clarifies that the material is not californium. Also, it is confirmed that the material is of natural origin and it is not radioactive,” an official statement from the department said.

The media reports had said the material was found engraved inside stones by a CID team, which arrested the two persons.

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Four ash-coloured stones, weighing about 250 grams, were recovered from the arrested duo.

Californium is said to be used in nuclear power plants, and the CID was reported to be investigating the source of the material.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)