Arrested Bhopal gas victims denied bail
On June 9, the police arrested victims of 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy when they were protesting in the Indian capital outside Prime Minister’s office. Two days later, a Delhi court denied them bail, giving a specious argument.
New Delhi: Though all those who stood as guarantors for the arrested victims of Bhopal gas tragedy were respected citizens of Delhi, a Delhi Court still felt the need to verify their addresses in spite of the fact that they had submitted all documents in original like their identity proofs, proof of residence and financial liquidity.
Pran Nath, the Special Executive Magistrate, New Delhi District denied bail to 16 Bhopali protestor on June 11 on the pretext that the guarantors did not know them personally. The matter now will again come up for hearing on June 16.
Thirty-six Bhopali protestors were arrested on June 9, when they were protesting outside the Prime Minister’s office pressing for their demands for a special commission on Bhopal gas tragedy and initiation of legal action against Dow Chemicals and Union Carbide.
Most of the arrested were women and children. Thirteen – all children – were let off the next day and 23, of which 21 are women, were sent to judicial custody, where they are still languishing.
Seven of them, including Rashida Bee of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Sangh and Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information and Action have refused to plead guilty and are not applying for bail.
Three young girls talking to OneWorld South Asia alleged that
they were badly beaten up and subjected to verbal abuse in police station by the policemen. Imran, who remains in jail, was so badly beaten with the belt that his eye started bleeding. Some were stripped naked and were denied food. When one of the activists brought food for them he was also misbehaved with.
They are charged under Sections 107 and 151 of the Indian Penal Code that pertain to ‘security for keeping the peace’ and ‘preventive detention’ respectively.
The guarantors included Prof. Rohan D’Souza from Jawaharlal Nehru University; Kanchi Kohli, an environmentalist; O.P. Kalshiyan, a member of the Delhi Bar Council; and others.
Bhopal gas survivors and victims of water contamination have been sitting at Jantar Mantar since late March when they had arrived in Delhi after a 37-day padyatra.
It was only on May 29 that a junior minister Prithviraj Chavan came to the site of the demonstration and assured them on prime minister’s behalf that a special commission would be set up to look into the issue of their rehabilitation.
Shalini Sharma, an activist, said that the minister was noncommittal on their demand of legal action against the perpetrators of the heinous crime that took place in 1984. Also no time frame and other details have been fixed for the commission as yet.
“Despite the passage of 23 years, the Government is yet to take any steps to pursue legal action against Union Carbide and Warren Anderson, the former chairman of Union Carbide. Both are charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder,” say the protestors.
In the meanwhile, a global hunger strike also has started from June 10 in support of the demands of Bhopal gas victims. Those who have gone on hunger strike include a noted writer Indira Sinha from his residence in France.
Bhopal Group for Information and Action’s Satinath Sarangi said that these arrests and later denial of bail were clear attempts to demoralise the protesters. “But we will not be cowed by ill treatment of the authorities,” he said.
