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NIA takes over case involving recovery of uranium worth ₹21 crore in Maharashtra
Following the order of the Union ministry of home affairs, the agency re-registered the case, which was earlier lodged at ATS Kalachowki, Mumbai and has begun the investigation.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday took over the case of recovery of natural uranium worth more than ₹21 crore in Maharashtra. As much as 7.1 kg of uranium was seized from Jigar Jayesh Pandya and Abu Tahir Afzal Choudhary the night of May 5.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested the two accused involved.
Following the order of the Union ministry of home affairs, the agency re-registered the case, which was earlier lodged at ATS Kalachowki, Mumbai and has begun the investigation.
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"Pursuant to registration of the case, requisite actions as per law for expeditious investigation of case have been initiated," a statement from the NIA said.
The investigating agency had on Friday sought a detailed report about the uranium seizure from the ATS, news agency PTI quoted an official as saying. The ATS had given a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) with other required information related to the case to the central agency, PTI further reported.
The intensity of the sensitive nature of the case rose as during the investigation by the ATS it was found that the highly radioactive substance is more than 90 per cent pure, as per a PTI report.
The seized uranium was also sent to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Trombay for analysis, said another official, reported the news agency. BARC's report mentioned that the seized substance was natural uranium that is "highly radioactive and dangerous to human life".
