LG Chem said Thursday that an Indian court granted a conditional return home to eight company officials who had been stopped by local police from boarding a chartered flight back to Korea last month.

According to LG Chem, the Indian High Court lifted a travel ban on the special task force comprised of eight officials, accepting a petition the company filed on Wednesday, on the condition that they appear in court if subpoenaed and cooperate with police investigations regarding a deadly gas leak at a LG Polymer plant that left 12 local residents dead.

The special task force led by LG Chem Executive Vice President and President of Petrochemicals Business Noh Kug-lae -- dispatched to India on May 13 to contain the gas leak crisis that occurred on May 7 -- was scheduled to board a charted plane back to Korea on May 26 but was stopped by Andhra Pradesh state police at the airport despite an approval from the local aviation authorities. The flight returned to Korea empty.

“The special task force will return home as it has completed its mission of stabilizing the LG Polymer plant. Also, LG Chem will continue its corporate social responsibility activities, including providing support to local residents,” a company official said.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)