Korba Police has ensured that the foreign nationals indicted in the Vedanta-controlled Balco chimney disaster do not leave the country till the court of law delivered its order.
The matter assumes significance in the backdrop of the yesterday’s judgment in the Bhopal Gas tragedy case. Warren Anderson, the then Chairman of Union Carbide Corporation of USA, who lives in the United States, appeared to have gone scot-free for now as he is still an absconder and did not subject himself to trial.
“We had ensured that the lapses in Bhopal gas probe is not committed in Balco case and took the necessary measures to detain the indicted Chinese technocrats in the country till the court of law delivers judgment in the Chimney collapse case,” Korba Superintendent of Police Ratanlal Dangi told Business Standard.
He added that investigating agencies are aware that once the foreign national leaves the country after any incident, it is not an easy task to deport or bring him back to frame charges. “That’s why, we filed an application in the court of law and got the order to seize the passports of the three Chinese engineers who have been charged in the Balco incident,” Dangi added. Three Chinese engineers working with Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation (SEPCO) were arrested on January 11 in connection with the chimney collapse incident in the power plant at Balco that killed 41 people last year.
The arrested Chinese technocrats include project-in-charge Woo Chunan, Engineers O Lou and Wan Qung. They were arrested on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and common intention under Section 304 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Though the Chinese technocrats are out on bail, Korba police are taking all measures so that they cannot leave the country. “We have communicated to all the international airports and alerted authorities about the three engineers so that they cannot fly even on fake passports,” Dangi said.