The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board is contemplating handing down severe punishment to Delhi University's Chemistry Department for allegedly failing to follow safety rules leading to radiation leak in a Delhi scrap market.

After the Delhi Police traced the origin of the radioactive Cobalt-60 found in Delhi's Mayapuri scrap market to a laboratory in Delhi University's Chemistry Department, where it was lying unused for the last 25 years, AERB is also trying to find whether the Canadian irradiator of the department was registered with Department of Atomic Energy.

"We are tracing the registration of the Canadian irradiator and also contemplating severe punishment under the Indian Atomic Energy Act for the Chemistry Department as it is responsible for severe exposure of gamma rays to the public in Mayapuri which even left one person dead," Chairman, AERB S S Bajaj told PTI.

"We will come to know today about the registration of the instrument as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is also looking into its records," Bajaj said.

Delhi's Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad Aggarwal said yesterday that the university bought the irradiator in question from the Atomic Energy Canada Limited in 1970 for use in experiments by students. It was not used since 1985. .