Court completes recording statements of former UCIL officials

Bhopal, July 11 (UNI) The Bhopal Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) today completed recording statements of all the main accused in connection with a criminal case related to the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster.

CJM Ravindra Singh recorded the statement of Mr A K Srivastava, a representative of the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL).

The court had recorded the statements of former UCIL Bhopal plant production manager K V Shetty yesterday.

Recording of statements of former UCIL chairman Keshub Mahindra, former UCIL works manager J Mukund, former managing director Vijay Gokhale, former UCIL Vice-president Kishore Kamdar, former production manager S P Choudhary and former shift supervisor Shakil Ibrahim Qureshi had been completed earlier.

During the hearing, the prosecution agency, CBI, sought permission to ask more questions from the accused as investigation into the case was continuing.

Accepting the request, the court directed to make available the prescribed questionnaire to the accused.

Meanwhile, Bhopal Gas Peedit Sangharsh Sahyog Samiti and Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan today submitted an application before the court saying the investigation in the case had not been completed and the chargesheet framed against the accused in 1987 needs to be argued.

The Bhopal Group for Information and Action submitted an application saying that UCIL was doing business in the country in a separate name and demanded that the company's assets must be seized.

The court recorded both the applications and directed the CBI to reply during next hearing on August 22.

UNI AG-PS 1601