Warren charges not diluted: PC
Union home minister P. Chidambaram has said that charges against the absconding former head of the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) Warren Anderson were not diluted and even lauded the CBI for being steadfast in its endeavour to seek his extradition. He also said that the curative petition in the case is almost ready to be filed.
The home minister who was replying to a debate on the Bhopal gas tragedy in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, “Let me tell you, the CBI stood it ground and said that the extradition should be sought under 304 (2).”
Mr Chidambaram also sought to sound an emotional note stating that 25 years after the tragedy, “we can look back with a sense of regret and guilt that we did not address this issue in the manner it should have been”. He also said, “All that we can do now is to set right things that went wrong to the best of our ability.”
Sending out a message to the gas victims, Mr Chidambaram said, “We share your grief, sorrow, with a sense of guilt. The number of people who died, 5,295 is the number certified by the welfare commissioner.” However, he added, “I admit the commissioner may have been wrong.”
The home minister said that the investigating agency continued to press with grave charges against Anderson despite the then attorney-general suggesting that charges be framed against him under section 304A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which provides for lesser punishment. He also noted that even a US law firm from which the then government had sought legal opinion in April 2001 had said that the extradition request was “misconceived”.
Mr Chidambaram also told the House that the case which had gone to the Supreme Court was against Keshub Mahindra, the Union Carbide chairman at the time of the deadly gas leak in December 1984. Further, the home minister said that while the Supreme Court quashed charges under section 304 against Keshub Mahindra, it has not done so in the case of Anderson as the charges were not framed against him, the man having jumped bail.
On the contentious issue of compensation for the victims, the home minister admitted that the government and Parliament had not done enough. He further said that government could also give compensation to those victims who have been left out.
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