Today, the authorised representative of Dow Chemical USA, Ms. Amy Wilson has filed a so-called partial appearance before the court of Hon. VII CIVIL JUDGE-I Vidhan Maheshwari through its lawyers. Dow filed a one page memo stating that Bhopal Court does not have jurisdiction over the corporation as it is an American corporation and it sought more time from the court.
The Hon’ble Judge also listened to the argument of the lawyer of Bhopal Group for Information & Action, Mr. Avi Singh who stated that under criminal jurisprudence there is no such thing as ‘partial appearance’. He further added that if Dow is not challenging the summons of the Bhopal District court then it cannot enter into partial appearance and if the Authorised Representative does not appear in person then the court has the power to issue a bailable warrant and/or proceed to hear the application in absentia of Dow Chemical.
दिसंबर 84 के यूनियन कार्बाइड गैस हादसे के पीड़ितों के बीच काम कर रहे चार संगठनों ने आज एक पत्रकार वार्ता में गैस हादसे के आपराधिक मामले में डाव केमिकल कंपनी को भोपाल जिला अदालत के समन तामील कराने में अपनी सफलता का जश्न मनाया | उन्होंने मांग की की केंद्रीय अन्वेषण ब्यूरो (CBI) पिछले 22 सालों से एक भगोड़े अपराधी को शरण देने के लिए यूनियन कार्बाइड के मालिक अमरीकी डाव केमिकल को ऐसी सज़ा दिलवाए कि वह एक मिसाल बने |
At a Press Conference today, four organizations of the survivors of the Union Carbide disaster celebrated their success in having the summons of the Bhopal District Court served upon The Dow Chemical Company in the criminal case arising out of the December 1984 gas disaster. They demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ensure speedy prosecution of the US corporation, that owns Union Carbide, for exemplary punishment for sheltering a fugitive from justice for the last 22 years.
Five Bhopal based organizations thanked the 12 Congressmen for this unprecedented action. “It is indeed heartening to find some of the most powerful voices in the US Congress calling for the US DOJ to act as per law and stop their country’s image being sullied as a safe haven for criminal corporations.” Said Goldman Environmental awardee and president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, Rashida Bee.
Reps insist the DoJ must honor Bilateral Treaty obligations by acting on India’s request, for the 7th time, that it serve summons on the US chemical giant
