To Honourable Prime Minister
152, South Block, Raisina Hill, New Delhi-110011
14 June 2016
Sub: Instruct CBI to take harsher measures against The Dow Chemical Company (TDCC) in the ongoing criminal matter (MJC 91/92) on Bhopal disaster
Dear Mr. Prime Minister,
On behalf of the survivors of the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal we wish to share with you the good news that due to the initiative of the survivors and support from the international community it has been possible for us to collect within 30 days, 100, 000 signatures on a petition to the US President demanding that the US Department of Justice serve the Bhopal District Court’s notice upon The Dow Chemical Company (TDCC), USA so that it appears in the ongoing criminal case on the disaster on July 13, 2016. As per the order of the Bhopal court, TDCC is expected to explain to the court why it has not made its 100 % subsidiary Union Carbide Corporation appear in the ongoing criminal case on the Bhopal disaster.
By the terms of the “We the People” Petitions, the US government is now obliged to respond, within the next 30 days, to charges of violations of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between USA and India by the DoJ. We are indeed hopeful that in the process of responding to the petition, the US DoJ will be encouraged to follow the terms of the US-India MLAT and serve the notice on TDCC well in time for it to appear on the appointed date.
Through this letter we request you to issue necessary directions so that the officials in the MHA register their protest regarding the unlawful response of the US DoJ on three previous occasions and demand that it acts in accordance with US – India MLAT this fourth time. We regret to inform you that the prosecution in the criminal case, the CBI, has done precious little in the last two decades to ensure appearance of UCC that is absconding since 1992.
We request you to issue necessary instructions to CBI to seek harsher measures from the court, such as non-bailable warrant, against TDCC in the event it chooses not to appear before the court on July 13.
We hope this historic initiative by the Bhopalis and their international supporters will encourage the Government of India to strive to correct some of the historic wrongs to obtain justice for the victims of the world’s worst industrial disaster.
Thanking you.
Yours sincerely,
| Rashida Bi, | Nawab Khan, | Balkrishna Namdeo, | Satinath Sarangi, Rachna Dhingra, | Safreen Khan, |
| Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh | Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha | Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha | Bhopal Group for Information and Action | Children Against Dow Carbide |
| 94256 88215 | 8718035409 | 9826345423 | 9826167369 |
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