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PETN or powder? Agra FSL contradicts Lucknow lab report

Reports quoting a senior officer of the Forensic Lab at Agra claim that they have examined the sample sent from Lucknow and have found that there is no trace of PETN in it, as claimed by the Lucknow FSL.

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The PETN scare case in Uttar Pradesh (UP) took a curious turn when two Forensic Labs of the state locked horns over its findings. The Lucknow Forensic Lab continues to claim that the powder found on July 12 is PETN, but the Agra Lab contradicts its claim saying that it is not.

Amidst the controversy, the Yogi government and the UP Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS) is keeping silence over the issue. Reports quoting a senior officer of the Forensic Lab at Agra claim that they have examined the sample sent from Lucknow and have found that there is no trace of PETN in it, as claimed by the Lucknow FSL.

The officer added that the Lucknow FSL was not adequately equipped to examine the nature of such a high-quality explosive like PETN. He claimed that the sample of the powder found inside the Vidhan Sabha was sent for examination on July 14 to the Agra Lab.

Though the Yogi government denies having sent samples to the Agra Lab, sources in UP ATS claim that the agency had sent samples to Agra and Hyderabad labs for cross examination and later on to the CFL in Delhi after NIA probed was ordered.

The IG ATS Aseem Arun also refused to make any comment on the contradictions in the findings of the Agra and Lucknow FSLs. "We have not got any report from Agra yet so we can't make any comments basis media reports," said the IG.

The Director FSL Lucknow Shyam Bihari Updhyaya, however, clarified that their preliminary findings in the lab suggested PETN. "Our lab is well-equipped to deal with samples of any explosives. Test with explosive kit suggested PETN. We had recommended for further examination," claimed Updhyaya refusing to make any comment on the Agra FSL report.

The State Home department on Tuesday denied having sent any samples to Agra for testing. An official claimed that the Lucknow report had suggested three things after the testing — the powder found was to be unsoluable; second chemical test suggested presence of nitrate, and three, an explosive kit found it to be PETN-positive.

The two contradictory reports have become a joke in power corridors. During Tuesday's session of UP Assembly, media and politicians were seen making fun of it. Some suggested that it was powder sugar, others claim it is some narcotic substance. One opposition MLA even went to the extent of saying that the powder was planted to check entry of unwanted elements and to divert people attention from the failure of the Yogi government.

Who Dunnit? 

The ATS grilled and recorded statements of two Samajwadi party MLAs incluidng Manoj Pandey and Anil Dohre. While Manoj stated that he had changed the seat, in question, thrice on July 12, Dohre feigned ignorance about planting of powder under that seat.

 

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