Bye, India: Anderson's words as he beat the law
New Delhi: Warren Anderson, former chairman of Union Carbide Corp responsible for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, was certain that Indian law couldn't touch him.
Anderson, in an interview with the BBC after he was released by the Madhya Pradesh government on 7th December 1984, had said that he was going home to America. "House arrest or no arrest or bail, no bail, I am free to go home...There is a law of the United States...India, bye bye, thank you," Anderson had said even though there was an arrest warrant against him. Congress leader Arjun Singh, who was Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister in1984, was in Bhopal that time and clearly said his government didn't intend to prosecute or “harass” Anderson.
"There was no intention to prosecute anyone or try to, sort of, harass anyone,” Singh told BBC outside theUnion Carbide plant.
"Therefore, he (Anderson) was granted bail and he agreed to be present in court when the charges are made," said Singh.
Singh has not spoken publicly after a Bhopal court's verdict in the gas leak case two weeks ago, but Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that the decision to let Anderson leave Bhopal was strictly a law and order decision.
A Bhopal court had on January 1, 1992 issued a notice for Anderson's appearance before it. After Anderson failed to turn up, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against him.
In 2003, India sent an extradition request for Anderson to the US Justice Department, which rejected it in 2004. The last request for extradition by the External Affairs Ministry was made in September 2008.
Gordon Streeb, who was deputy chief of mission of the US embassy in New Delhi in 1984, has said the Indian government had assured "safe passage" to Anderson.
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