Radiation case: Delhi varsity teachers to hold protest

NEW DELHI - Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) will hold a protest on the varsity campus Wednesday seeking an independent probe into the radiation leak in the capital that has killed one person and injured seven, officials said.

The teachers want President Pratibha Patil, who is the visitor of the university, to constitute a committee to examine the case, a DUTA official said Sunday.

DUTA will hold the protest near Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental’s office Wednesday (May 5).

“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,” DUTA president Aditya Narayan 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.

A radiation leak was reported from a scrap market in Mayapuri area of west Delhi a fortnight ago.

Eight people were affected by radiation poisoning from radioactive gamma cells which were placed in a lead shielded flask.

The cells were sold as scrap by the university’s chemistry laboratory.

Pental apologised Thursday and took moral responsibility for the incident.

“The incident occurred due to sheer negligence and carelessness of Pental as 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.