Man arrested with secret DRDO documents, radioactive materials in West Bengal

PTI, Nov 30, 2024, 9:55 AM IST

Kolkata: A man was arrested in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district with confidential DRDO documents and a large quantity of radioactive materials, police said on Friday.

The accused was identified as Francis Ekka. He is the husband of Amrita Ekka, a TMC leader of Naxalbari Panchayat Samiti.

The arrest was made from Belgachi village in Naxalbari block on November 26 in a joint raid by the Army and the West Bengal Police, a police officer said.

“We found several confidential DRDO documents and a large quantity of radioactive Californium in his possession. The accused person failed to give any clear answer as to why those materials were with him,” the officer told PTI.

The market value of a gram of the seized material could be around Rs 17 crore, he claimed.

“The accused has been charged with smuggling sensitive DRDO documents and radioactive materials. He may have links to foreign organisations. He is being interrogated,” the officer said.

Police have sealed the house from where the radioactive materials were seized, he added.