Bhopal tragedy: Govt did its job, judiciary took time, says Moily

M.today

New Delhi, June 12 : As the blame game over Bhopal verdict intensifies, Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily has pointed a finger at the judiciary for delaying the Bhopal case and letting the then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson get away.
 
"I am already on record that case is not closed against Anderson. CBI had filed a chargesheet against Anderson and all the other accused under Section 304(2) where the maximum punishment is 10 years. But the case was converted to 304 A - which is meant for car accidents - by the Chief Justice of India at that time. For an offence of this dimension, I am sorry it was reduced. The government had done its duty, but because of judiciary it was delayed," he said.

 

"We are working on fast-tracking such cases. Cases of mass destruction should have standard law. Mass destruction is not an accident but a disaster. A process of class litigation should also be there," Moily added.

He also insisted that the case against Warren Anderson was still not closed. Earlier, the United States had said that it would "carefully evaluate" any new request from India to bring to justice Warren Anderson, who is wanted in a case related to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy that killed several thousands of people.

State department spokesperson PJ Crowley told reporters that the US would carefully evaluate any request from the Indian government.

The statement comes days after the Indian Foreign Ministry said the US had rejected India’s extradition plea for want of direct culpability. Officials say India has renewed the request for an extradition several times between 2003 and 2008.

Moily Slams Alexander For Rajiv Gandhi Remarks

Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on Saturday  attacked a top aide of Rajiv Gandhi for suggesting that the then prime minister may have had a role in the release of former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson accused in Bhopal gas case, saying he was a new convert to BJP-Shiv Sena camp.

"I think he (P C Alexander) had joined BJP, and with Shiv Sena’s support he became a Rajya Sabha member. He is a new convert to the BJP-Shiv Sena and anti-Congress camp because he was not considered for Presidentship. It is a motivated statement," he told reporters here.

He said many persons like Alexander, former principal secretary to Rajiv Gandhi, suddenly wanted to be martyrs. "I think he is responsible (for Anderson’s sudden release after his arrest in December 1984) because he was the then Principal Secretary," he added.