FSL director terms powder explosive, suspended

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday suspended the director of a forensic science laboratory (FSL) for wrongly terming silicon oxide, a food additive, found inside the state Assembly a few days ago, a dangerous plastic explosive.

Shyam Bihari Upadhyaya had conducted tests on the powder recovered from under the seat of an MLA with an “expired” kit and said it was PETN (Pentaerythritol tetranitrate), a dangerous plastic explosive, sources said. But, subsequent tests at a central forensic laboratory revealed that the powder was actually silicon oxide.

The FSL report has caused huge embarrassment to the state government.

Taking note of the initial report from the Lucknow FSL, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed serious concern over the slack security in the House, and called it a conspiracy that could be linked to terrorism.