New Delhi:
Over 25 years ago, as Bhopal was only just waking up to the enormity of the gas leak from the Union Carbide plant, Warren Anderson, the CEO of the US-based company, flew in and flew out of Bhopal in a whirlwind tour on December 7, 1984, with all the ceremony accorded to a visiting dignitary. (Read: Who is Warren Anderson?)
After the verdict this week in the Bhopal gas tragedy case, the focus is once again on how Anderson was allowed to get away despite being arrested on charges of culpable homicide.
The injustice of the fact that Anderson has since ignored multiple summons to face trial in India is compounded by the damning basics that his getaway was enabled by the government.
Hours after he landed in Bhopal to discover that he had been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Anderson was whisked away to the airport, where the Chief Minister's official plane stood waiting, along with senior bureaucrats and police officers. Captain R S Sodhi, who was then Director of Aviation, Bhopal, tells NDTV that he received a call from the office of the Chief Minister, Arjun Singh, ordering him to arrange Anderson's departure.
Sodhi says the city's Superintendent of Police and the Collector, Moti Singh, waved to Anderson as he boarded Singh's plane. (Watch)
Flying Anderson out was Captain SH Ali, who tells NDTV that the identity of his passenger was not revealed to him.
Ali said, "We got flight information from director R S Sodhi for a flight from Bhopal to Delhi. I was told to keep aircraft ready. I planned it one hour beforehand. We waited for Mr Anderson. He came with the Superintendent of Police and Collector of Bhopal. He boarded the plane. I closed the door. It was a one-hour-35- minute flight. We landed in Delhi. An ambassador picked him up from next to the plane. I left him with the airport manager. Another car was waiting for him there." (Read & watch complete interview)
He also said, "He (Anderson) was alone in the aircraft. Only one person received him at the airport. He was looking tired and upset. It was a state government plane. We did not know who he was. It was kept a secret."
Pilot Ali's story begins where that of the then Collector of Bhopal, Moti Singh ends. Moti Singh said, "The Chief Secretary at that time called me to the room and told me to arrange for the departure of Warren Anderson."
"Mr Anderson, Keshub Mahindra and BR Gokhle came by service flight from Mumbai to Bhopal and they were taken into our custody at the airport. We put them inside Union Carbide guest house at Shamara Hills after the arrest. At around 2 pm, the Chief Secretary called the police chief and me and told us to release Anderson and send him to Delhi by plane. Accordingly we went to that place, did the formalities, and he was released on bail and sent to Delhi by plane," Moti Singh added. (Watch: Bhopal then collector Moti Singh on Anderson)
Each account describes Anderson's comfortable stay in and journey out of ravaged Bhopal despite having been under arrest. (Read: How Warren Anderson left Bhopal)
After the verdict this week in the Bhopal gas tragedy case, the focus is once again on how Anderson was allowed to get away despite being arrested on charges of culpable homicide.
The injustice of the fact that Anderson has since ignored multiple summons to face trial in India is compounded by the damning basics that his getaway was enabled by the government.
Hours after he landed in Bhopal to discover that he had been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Anderson was whisked away to the airport, where the Chief Minister's official plane stood waiting, along with senior bureaucrats and police officers. Captain R S Sodhi, who was then Director of Aviation, Bhopal, tells NDTV that he received a call from the office of the Chief Minister, Arjun Singh, ordering him to arrange Anderson's departure.
Sodhi says the city's Superintendent of Police and the Collector, Moti Singh, waved to Anderson as he boarded Singh's plane. (Watch)
Flying Anderson out was Captain SH Ali, who tells NDTV that the identity of his passenger was not revealed to him.
Ali said, "We got flight information from director R S Sodhi for a flight from Bhopal to Delhi. I was told to keep aircraft ready. I planned it one hour beforehand. We waited for Mr Anderson. He came with the Superintendent of Police and Collector of Bhopal. He boarded the plane. I closed the door. It was a one-hour-35- minute flight. We landed in Delhi. An ambassador picked him up from next to the plane. I left him with the airport manager. Another car was waiting for him there." (Read & watch complete interview)
He also said, "He (Anderson) was alone in the aircraft. Only one person received him at the airport. He was looking tired and upset. It was a state government plane. We did not know who he was. It was kept a secret."
Pilot Ali's story begins where that of the then Collector of Bhopal, Moti Singh ends. Moti Singh said, "The Chief Secretary at that time called me to the room and told me to arrange for the departure of Warren Anderson."
"Mr Anderson, Keshub Mahindra and BR Gokhle came by service flight from Mumbai to Bhopal and they were taken into our custody at the airport. We put them inside Union Carbide guest house at Shamara Hills after the arrest. At around 2 pm, the Chief Secretary called the police chief and me and told us to release Anderson and send him to Delhi by plane. Accordingly we went to that place, did the formalities, and he was released on bail and sent to Delhi by plane," Moti Singh added. (Watch: Bhopal then collector Moti Singh on Anderson)
Each account describes Anderson's comfortable stay in and journey out of ravaged Bhopal despite having been under arrest. (Read: How Warren Anderson left Bhopal)
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