Madhya Pradesh to appeal Bhopal gas verdict

BHOPAL - The Madhya Pradesh government will appeal against the “insufficient” punishment of two years imprisonment awarded to seven officials of Union Carbide India for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, officials Thursday said.

The decision has been taken on the recommendations of legal experts, government spokesman Narrotam Mishra said at a press conference here.

Following the verdict June 7 by the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Bhopal, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had set up a five-member committee of legal experts to examine the decision. The committee submitted its report with 12 recommendations Thursday.

Citing the report, Mishra said that among the recommendations was that the state government file a revision petition in the sessions court seeking more punishment for the seven convicted officials and also request the central government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file similar pleas.

The CBI has also been requested to seek the apprehension and extradiition of then Union Carbine CEO Warren Anderson, who has been declared an absconder in the case.

It also recommended that a plea be filed in the Supreme Court to reconsider its judgement replacing the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder with negligence.

Mishra also said a committee under the chief minister and the chief secretary would be set up to oversee the implementation of the recommendations.