‘Arjun may have given Anderson release order’

Jun 12, 2010 - Age Correspondent |

New Delhi

In another revelation in the ongoing controversy over the events post-Bhopal gas tragedy which led to release of former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson, former Madhya Pradesh home secretary K.S. Sharma on Friday said that then chief minister Arjun Singh may have given directions to officials for his release. He also claimed that despite being the home secretary he was not kept in the loop and “not informed about Anderson’s release”.

Speaking to agencies, Mr Sharma said the pressure to release Mr Anderson must have come from the chief minister as “no officer would take such a step without direct instructions from the government”.
“Right from the beginning there had been some soft approach towards the whole thing otherwise he (Mr Anderson) would have not been kept in a guesthouse when he was in custody. Releasing an accused of such a heinous crime on the same day means there was a tremendous pressure,” Mr Sharma said, who was the home secretary when the Bhopal gas tragedy took place. “It is difficult to say from where this pressure came but certainly the pressure from chief minister on officials must have been there because no officer would take such a step without direct instructions from the government,” he said.
To a question whether there was pressure on Mr Singh, he said, “This is not known to me whether there was some pressure on Arjun Singh or not... I did not discuss with chief minister Arjun Singh. I really do not know.”

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