Delhi University teachers to hold protest on radiation leak

NEW DELHI - A group of Delhi University teachers will stage protest near Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental’s office Wednesday and demand an independent probe into the radiation leak in the city traced to the university’s chemistry lab, a teachers’ representative said.

Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) president Aditya Narayan Misra said the teachers will hold a demonstration near Pental’s office May 5.

One person was killed and seven others injured due the radiation leak in a scrap market in Mayapuri area of west Delhi a fortnight ago. The radiation poisoning resulted from radioactive cobalt-60 carelessly disposed of as scrap by the lab.

The DUTA also wants President Pratibha Patil, the visitor of the university, to constitute a committee to examine the case.

“The vice chancellor of Delhi University should step down immediately and an independent inquiry should be ordered for enabling a fair probe. These are the two main demands of our protests,” Misra told IANS.

“As the human resource development ministry is not recommending an independent inquiry, our association has already written to Patil, seeking a visitorial inquiry,” he said.

“The president, as the visitor of the university, should constitute a committee of experts to examine the case and fix the blame,” he added.

Pental apologised Thursday and took moral responsibility for the accident.

“The incident occurred due to sheer negligence and carelessness of Pental as the purchase or disposal of any kind of equipment takes place only after his permission. Taking moral responsibility is not enough. He should resign as this incident has earned disrespect not only to the university but to the country,” Misra said.