UCIL ex-chairman?s statement recorded

Former chairman of Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) Keshub Mahindra and managing director Vijay Gokhale were today examined further by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Anil Kumar Gupta in criminal proceedings relating to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.

Former chairman of Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) Keshub Mahindra and managing director Vijay Gokhale were today examined further by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Anil Kumar Gupta in criminal proceedings relating to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.

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CJM Gupta, who had been recording statements of six persons accused in CBI charge-sheet on the disaster that took place on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, sought answers from Mahindra and Gokhale on several queries that included technical aspects also.

The court fixed April 17, 18 and 19 as next dates of hearing answers to fresh queries from the accused. Statements of UCIL local representative A K Shrivastava, production assistant S I Quereshi, works manager J Mukund and plant superintendent K V Shetty and vice-president Kishore Kamdar were earlier recorded by the court.

Another accused, former UCIL production manager S P Choudhury had quoted ill health of his spouse while seeking permission from the court to remain absent.

The CBI had also levelled charges against Union Carbide Corporation, its Asian subsidiary Union Carbide (Eastern) and former UCC chairman Warren Anderson in connection with the gas disaster.