Bhopal victims appeal to Obama to extradite Anderson

BHOPAL - The Bhopal Gas Victims Women Forum has written to US President Barack Obama and sought his intervention in the extradition of former Union Carbide Chairman Warren Anderson, the prime accused in the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, who was allowed to leave the country soon after the catastrophe.

They said President Obama cannot overlook the plight of the victims by deeming it to be India’s ‘internal matter’.

“We have written a letter to US President Barack Obama appealing him to help us with this case. His statement that the Bhopal gas tragedy is India’s internal matter is not correct,” said Abdul Jabbar, convenor of the civil society group.

“We have also sent a letter to the Union Law and Justice Minister Veerappa Moily demanding justice for the victims,” he added.

The group also questioned the apparent hesitancy and leniency of the Government to prosecute the accused under tougher provisions of the law.

“We have at least a dozen evidences that can prove that the accused must be charged under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code,” said Jabbar.

We have presented these proofs to the Central Government, courts and the investigating agencies too,” he added.

A District Magistrate’s Court in Bhopal had on June 7 convicted all eight accused on grounds of negligence under Section 304 (a) for the tragedy.

The court also granted bail to seven of the eight accused and released them on submission of a bond and a surety of Rs 25,000 each.

The eight accused are Keshub Mahendra, Vijay Gokhle, Kishore Kamdar, J Mukund, S P Choudhary, K V Shetty and S I Qureshi and R B Roy Choudhary.

Out of the accused R B Roy Choudhary, then former Assistant Works Manager Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL), Mumbai, died during the trial.

Anderson, the chairman of Union Carbide Worldwide, has been designated an absconder. (ANI)