Sangrur, Aug 04: Geological Survey of India (GSI)
has decided to send the mysterious stone, which was taken
from a local farmer by the police yesterday after he claimed
that it had fallen from sky with light, for analysis to
Central Metrological Laboratory at Kolkata and Physical
Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad.
A three member team of GSI comprising of its directors Rs
Rana and Joginder Singh besides senior geologist Baldev Singh
today took possession of gray colored rocky substance having
green reflections taken into its possession by the police from
villagers of Hotipur under Moonak sub-division.
The team after taking it from the SSP, Arun Pal Singh while
talking to reporters at local police lines said that they
would also examine the spot in the village to investigate and
ascertain the truth regarding circumstances in which it came
down.
The team said that it would seek help from international
experts in astronomy and also undertake a detailed microscopic
study, scanning besides electronic study of the object. They
have had first experience to see such a substance and its
scientific value could be ascertained only after thorough
study terming it a national property, they added.
The gravitational force under which the substance hit the
fields of Pargat Singh will also be taken into consideration
before chemical examination of the substance.
They said that the absence of pit or any trace after
felling of the substance would also be taken into
consideration indicating some suspicions about the substance.
Such an incident had happened for the first time in Punjab,
the GSI team said.
They refused to divulge about the authenticity of the
substance at this juncture pointing out that 80 percent of the
substances detected in large quantity in such a manner from
Kachh (Gujarat) a few years back were tested and found to be
ordinary stones.
Based on initial investigations, a senior police officer
had yesterday described as "hoax" the claim of a farmer of the
village, about 60 kms from here, that he had seen a mysterious
stone with light in it fall in his fields from the sky during
the night.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Moonak Balraj Singh
told agencies that the object weighing 235 gms, which had small
holes in it, appears to be a mud scrubber used for cleaning
the feet.
Singh said that though the villager claims that he had
seen the object falling from the sky spreading light, but no
crater has been formed at the spot where it was reported to
have fallen.
A farmer Pargat Singh, who had claimed that the mysterious
object weighing between 150 and 200 gms had fallen in his
field, told agencies that he had seen light in the object when it
was falling, but there was no light when it came down and the
Bajra crop sown in the field had not suffered any damage.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, August 04, 2007, 00:00