The Hindu : Centre blamed for delay in Anderson's extradition

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Sunday, Mar 16, 2003

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Centre blamed for delay in Anderson's extradition

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH 15. The Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances has held the Centre responsible for the inordinate delay in the extradition of the former chairman of Union Carbide Corporation, Warren Anderson, in connection with the world's worst industrial disaster at Bhopal in December 1984 and recommended a concrete plan of action along with the appropriate legislation to ensure that no one escaped the law in future after committing grave crimes.

The 12th report of the Committee, chaired by S. Venugopal, tabled in the Lok Sabha on February 27, has expressed the hope that the Centre, would now promptly bring to book all the culprits including Mr. Anderson, to convince the people that the Government was still sincere on the issue.

The extradition proceedings against Mr. Anderson, were started on April 10, 1992 but no success has been achieved so far because of the administrative procedures and legal complexities of the case.

"The Committee, particularly in the background of emerging liberalisation and globalisation, when transnational corporations and foreign companies are being invited to set up their units in the country, wants to caution the Government that it has now become incumbent on its part to send a message the world over that the offences of the type committed by the Union Carbide plant at Bhopal will not be allowed to be repeated.''

Expressing distress that the Government was able to obtain the opinion of the U.S. law firm on the extradition, almost three years after the advice of the Attorney-General on the matter despite fast communication facilities available, the Committee said this clearly spoke of a lackadaisical approach of the Government.

"The Government never seemed to be serious enough to get this case decided on a priority basis and dealt it in a routine manner resulting in the loss of precious time apart from sufferings being borne by the victims; or might be too reluctant and hesitant to proceed against the main accused, chairman of the Union Carbide, Warren Anderson,'' it said.

Reacting on the observations of the US law firm, it said the opinion of the firm was not encouraging as it said that from the material made available there was no evidence that established the necessary factual link between Mr. Anderson and the case of the explosion and leak, nor was there evidence that the deaths were the result of any act of Mr. Anderson.

Wanting to know the latest position in this regard, the Committee said that the representatives of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were apprehensive of finding the missing evidentiary link so many years after the offence had been committed.

Extremely unhappy over such a long time being taken in examining the possibility of extraditing Mr. Anderson, the Committee said it had become a cause of concern as the victims of the tragedy as also the people have shown their displeasure and questioned the attitude of the Government.

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