Court denies bail to three Chinese for Balco mishap
By IANSMonday, January 18, 2010
RAIPUR - A local court in Chhattisgarh’s Korba town late Monday rejected the bail applications of three Chinese engineers who were arrested in connection with the chimney collapse last year at the Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (Balco) power plant, in which 40 people were killed.
District and sessions judge M.D. Katulkar heard the arguments at Korba town, and passed the order at 8 p.m., rejecting their bail plea.
The Chinese engineers employed with the Shandong Electric Power Construction Corp (SEPCO), including the project in-charge Wu Chunan and two other civil engineers, were arrested Jan 11 at Korba. They were brought before a local court that sent them to judicial custody.
The Chinese nationals moved the court Jan 13 for bail but the court put off the hearing till Jan 18.
The Chinese engineers have been charged by the police under sections 304, 34, 323 and 326 of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the Sep 23, 2009, mishap.
Korba town is some 240 km from capital Raipur.
