CBI seeks extradition of Warren Anderson (Second Lead)

March 22nd, 2011 - 9:07 pm ICT by IANS  

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday sought the extradition of American Warren Anderson for the Bhopal gas disaster of 1984 that killed thousands.

Relying on the Bhopal trial court order of initiating proceedings against the former Union Carbide Corp (UCC) chairman, the CBI made the plea in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav here.

The CBI plea will come up for further hearing Wednesday.

In its 33-page application, the CBI demanded that extradition proceedings against Anderson, now 90, should begin.

“There is prima facie finding of the trial court that a criminal case is made out against Anderson,” the CBI said.

It said that Anderson had full knowledge about the defective design and structure of the UCC pesticide plant and its poor safety measures that led to the leak of toxic gas on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984.

The Bhopal tragedy, the world’s worst industrial disaster until then, instantly killed thousands and many thousands more in the years to come.

Arrested Dec 7, 1984, Anderson was granted bail by a Bhopal court. He flew back to the US and never returned to India to stand trial.

He was declared a proclaimed offender by the court of the Bhopal chief judicial magistrate in 1993.

The CBI said the investigation and trial of the Indian accused has prima facie established that (Anderson) “is responsible for causing death and injury in various degrees to a large number of human beings and animals”.

India and the US signed an extradition treaty Sep 14, 1999.

The CBI application said that Anderson’s trail was separated from the remaining nine Indian accused since he did not appear before any court.

The CBI said that Anderson was liable to be prosecuted under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code — culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The same charge was hurled against the Indian accused, all of who are now on bail.

The CBI’s move came after Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati that there was enough proof for Anderson’s extradition from the US.

Vahanvati also said that Anderson should be made to stand trial.

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