After three days deliberations by the reconstituted Group of Ministers (GoM) on Bhopal Gas tragedy, the CBI, which investigated the case, is likely to be asked to send a team of its officials to Hong Kong and USA for collecting certain crucial records from the Union Carbide Eastern Inc (Hong Kong) and Union Carbide Corporation plant located at West Virginia.
Sources in the agency said that apart from interrogation of Warren Anderson, former CEO of the UCC, questioning of certain top officials of the UCEI and UCC plant located at West Virginia in the USA was equally important. The GoM has already recommended that government should make a fresh attempt for extradition of Anderson, sources said adding that government may allow CBI to question officials of the UCEI, Hong Kong and UCC West Virginia also. “The CBI in its chargesheet filed on December 1, 1987 had categorically said that due to the complicated nature of the case and certain difficulties that were encountered during the investigation, some further investigation ‘still remains to be done,” sources said.
The control exercised by UCEI, Hong Kong, over the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), Bhopal, had been proved during the investigation by the CBI, this required further confirmation by interrogating top executives of the Hong Kong based UCEI and also collecting the relevant documents, sources added. Besides, CBI had also requested for the inspection of UCC plant at West Virginia, sources added.
Investigation by the agency had also revealed that there were basic defects in the design supplied by the UCC to UCIL, Bhopal.
The agency in its chargesheet clearly said, “Investigation has shown that even if lapses had not occurred, still the incident would have taken place due to the basis defects in the design supplied by the UCC whose experts supervised the erection and commissioning of the plant itself. The lapses only helped to aggravate the consequences of the incident.”
After such findings by the agency, CBI needs to question some more officials, sources said adding that interrogation of Anderson is not sufficient at all.
“The evidence collected during the investigation proves that the accused persons had the knowledge that by the various acts of commission and omission in the design and running of the Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) based plant, death and injury of various degrees could be caused to a large number human beings and animals. All the accused persons joined in such acts of omission and commission with such common knowledge,” said the chargesheet.
The agency needs to verify it by collecting certain crucial records from UCEI and UCC West Virginia, sources said.