Trial against Anderson in gas tragedy pending in Bhopal

Judicial proceedings against Warren Anderson, proclaimed offender in the over two-decade old Bhopal gas leak case, are still pending in Bhopal.

New Delhi: Judicial proceedings against
Warren Anderson, proclaimed offender in the over two-decade
old Bhopal gas leak case, are still pending in Bhopal.

"Since Warren Anderson was declared a proclaimed offender
during trial, trial against him, M/s Union Carbide Corporation
(UCC), USA is still pending," the CBI said in response to an
RTI query.

The investigating agency had re-registered the case
initially filed by Hanumanganj Police Station, Bhopal on
December 3, 1984 against J Mukund, KV Shetty, SP Choudhary,
Yatin Raichoudhary and Shakil Abraham.

"The case resulted in the conviction of all accused who
faced trial. CBI has filed a curative petition in the Supreme
Court with a prayer to frame the charges under Section 304
(punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder). A
revision and appeal has also been filed in the Sessions court
of Bhopal to enhance punishment," the RTI reply by CBI said.

However, the details of correspondences between Ministry
of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of
Personnel and Madhya Pradesh government among others and the
CBI related to the case were denied.

"...disclosure of this information will hamper the
extradition proceedings regarding Warren Anderson which in
turn will hamper the prosecution of accused," the Public
Information officer said in reply to the RTI application filed
by advocate Vivek Garg.

When asked about the details of the case, BR Lall,
former joint director of the CBI and in-charge of the probe,
repeated his allegation that he was "forced by the (then)
Ministry of External Affairs officials not to follow
extradition of Anderson".

"CBI investigation was influenced and commanded by some
officials, as a result (of which) justice in the Bhopal gas
leakage case got delayed, hence, denied," Lall said.

Lall was in charge of the investigation from April 1994
to July 1995.

The gas leak on the night of December 2, 1984 had killed
more than 15,000 people.

PTI

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