Navtej Sarna 
Counsellor (Press, Information & Culture) 
Embassy of India, Washington, DC 
(202) 939-7042

US Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson
denies "Newsweek" story on Indian Scientist

June 1, 1999
Washington, DC

The US Secretary of Energy Mr. Bill Richardson denied that any Indian scientist was expelled from Los Alamos on account of espionage. "Newsweek" in its latest issue had alleged that "....last year Los Alamos expelled an Indian scientist when it was discovered he had ties to India's nuclear-bomb program".

Clarifying the situation on NBC's "Meet the Press" on May 30, US Secretary of Energy Mr. Richardson stated as follows:

"It doesn’t have anything to do with espionage, but I can’t confirm that, Tim. When India detonated their nuclear weapon, sanctions from U.S. legislation were triggered, and the United States was forced to expel scientists. This scientist was doing unclassified work at Los Alamos. He had a connection with a nuclear institute in India that causes concern, so the lab, under Deputy Secretary Betsy Moeller, determined that he should be expelled. One or two others were also expelled from some of our science labs, but it was not because of espionage. It was because India took that negative step in detonating that weapon last year."