A complaint has been filed in a local court in Bhopal demanding registration of a criminal case against former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Arjun Singh for his alleged involvement in release of the prime accused in the Bhopal gas tragedy and the then chief of Union Carbide Corporation Warren Anderson despite an FIR under various sections of the IPC standing against him in a local police station soon after the 1984 accident.
The octogenarian Congress leader is tight-lipped over the issue since a recent judgement of the Bhopal court. The state government’s axe today also fell on the then superintendent of police Swaraj Puri when he was stripped of the minister status and chairmanship of the Narmada Valley Development Authority.
He is facing wide criticism in the media since a recent judgement in the case on his alleged involvement of letting off Warren Anderson. Soon after the judgement in the case, some channels aired video clippings in which Swaraj Puri, who was Bhopal’s SP in 1984, is apparently shown escorting Union Carbide’s CEO Warren Anderson to the airport. A separate complaint was also filed against him and the then Bhopal Collector Moti Singh on the charge of facilitating the safe exit of Anderson from Bhopal.
In the first private complaint in Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) RG Singh’s court, advocate Furkhan Khan has demanded a criminal case be registered against Arjun Singh for alleged involvement in Anderson’s release. The court has listed the matter for argument on June 29. Another private complaint was filed by Abdul Jabbar, convener of Gas Peedit Mahila against Moti Singh and Swaraj Puri for allegedly ensuring safe exit of Anderson from Bhopal. He has demanded registration of criminal case against them. The court will take up this complaint for argument on June 24.
“Our Chief Minister Shivraj Shing Chouhan has telephonically ordered his removal from the key position of NVDA on grounds of the media reports that he facilitated the prime accused of the gas tragedy to go scot-free despite soon after the tragedy an FIR was lodged against him in a local police station under various sections of the IPC,” Babulal Gaur, Minister for Gas Relief and Rehabilitation told Business Standard. Chouhan is on a business tour to European nations and will be back on 23rd of this month.
Puri and the then district magistrate Moti Singh had recently come before the media and alleged the then CM Arjun Singh of ordering them to do so. Anderson had not been produced before the judicial magistrate and had been released on personal surety.
On June 7, seven officials of the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) including Keshub Mahindra were sentenced to two years on charges of criminal negligence.
