BARC to charge sheet three suspended technicians

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre will issue 'charge sheets' within a week to its three suspended technical employees, suspected to be involved in the radiation exposure case at its Waste Immobilisation Plant (WIP) in Tarapur, following a departmental inquiry against them.

Three employees of WIP were reportedly exposed to radiation from a small sample bottle containing a few drops of a radioactive liquid on April 17 during the second/third shifts.

"Since the matter is very important and of very serious nature, we are taking all precautions in framing charge sheets," BARC Controller Dr Gajanan Pungle told PTI in Mumbai on Friday.

Also Read BARC suspends 3 in radiation exposure case

BARC has, since June 21, suspended three technicians allegedly responsible for radiation exposure of three of their colleagues in one of the labs in the WIP on April 17.

"The three were called for the departmental inquiry on June 21 and an official letter of suspension was issued on June 18 by BARC," Pungle said.

Charge sheets are being framed against all of them as part of the departmental inquiry and once the charge sheets are issued, the corresponding disciplinary and appointing authorities will take up the matter for further action as per rules laid down by BARC, Pungle said.

Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar is supervising the inquiry.