'Did Arjun Singh let Anderson escape?'

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tells MiD DAY that government machinery worked to save Union Carbide CEO after the Bhopal gas leak, demands fresh probe into the case.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tells MiD DAY that government machinery worked to save Union Carbide CEO after the Bhopal gas leak, demands fresh probe into the case.

Far from settling the issue, the recent court verdict on the Bhopal Gas tragedy case has opened another can of worms, with allegations flying left, right and centre. On Wednesday, speaking exclusively to MiD DAY, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan demanded an inquiry against veteran Congress leader Arjun Singh, who was the state's CM at the time of the mishap.



"I have nothing against Arjun Singh but the role of all those involved in the escape of Warren Anderson should be investigated and the guilty brought to book," Chouhan told MiD DAY.
Ex-Bhopal Collector Moti Singh had claimed before the media on Wednesday that the then administration facilitated Anderson's bail and escape from Bhopal after the tragedy on December 3, 1984.u00a0

Moti Singh has claimed that former state Chief Secretary Brahm Swaroop had asked him to let off Warren Anderson. He was also asked to arrange a special aircraft to fly Anderson to Delhi from where he left the country and never came back.

Moti Singh's charges have added fuel to the conspiracy theories on Warren Anderson's safe return to the US with help from the government. Anderson was the prime accused in the Bhopal gas tragedy case, which claimed over fifteen thousand lives and maimed many others.u00a0

Anderson and three other Union Carbide officials were arrested and released on bail within hours on December 7, 1984. Anderson was flown to Delhi in a Madhya Pradesh government helicopter on the same day. The next day Anderson allegedly had tea with then President Giani Zail Singh. According to reports, Arjun Singh ordered Anderson's release, citing possible law and order problems after receiving a call on December 7. The identity of the caller has not been revealed yet.

Mum's the word

Meanwhile, since the time the issue has come to the fore, Congress veteran Arjun Singh has been staying indoors at his 17, Akbar Road residence. Sources said, in the past few days he has only had a few official meetings including a visit to meet Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday.u00a0u00a0 Some said he was not well. However, when probed by MiD DAY, his close aide said, "If he is not speaking to the Media, it does not mean that he is unwell. He is absolutely fine," However, when asked when he would appear in public, and break his silence the aide said, "He is studying the court verdict."

"Warren Anderson should not have been allowed to leave India in the first place. Government machinery worked to save him," said a key functionary at the Chief Minister's office in Bhopal.

"My fight is not with Arjun Singh, it is with the system. All those who facilitated his escape from India in 1984 should be brought to book and role of key people including the then Chief Minister Arjun Singh and those who were in external affairs ministry should be investigated," Chouhan said.

The Chief Minister also expressed his dissatisfaction with the Centre's handling of the whole matter. "What is the use of the constitution of a GoM now on the Gas tragedy? They should have been cautious earlier when the CBI did not file a review petition in the apex court when it diluted the charges from 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) to Sec 304-A (causing death by negligence)," he said.

"The state government is going to approach the courts now on every issue related to the tragedy. We are not satisfied with the role of the Centre and its agencies. Everything was in the Government of India's hands. We thought we would get justice from them. But they have failed miserably," Chouhan added.u00a0

Anderson's tale

Warren Anderson and two other Union Carbide executives were picked up by police as soon as their aircraft touched down in Bhopal on December 7, 1984. They were whisked away through a side gate to avoid the waiting press. In a statement on Anderson's arrest, Arjun Singh had then said that his government could not remain "a hapless spectator" to the tragedy. A spokesman of the administration later said the American's house-arrest in the plush Carbide guesthouse and his return to Delhi on an MP government aircraft was done as his presence in Bhopal could act as a provocation. "Anderson's presence might provoke strong passions against him," the spokesman had said.