MP govt to file plea against court order

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra said the state government had accepted all the recommendations made by a legal committee headed by Additional Solicitor General Vivek Tankha.

The committee was formed on June 9 and submitted its report on Thursday,and the government released it before the GoM’s meeting on Friday.

The report said the state may particularly draw the attention of the appellate court to the aspect of amendment of charge by order sheet dated July 2,1999 whereby the charge was made for each count of death and grievous/simple hurt which cumulatively ran into thousands. “This crucial amendment in the charge against which the pleas of the accused persons were duly recorded and an opportunity of cross examination was also offered,has not been considered by the trial court,” the report noted. The state will also request the Union Government/CBI to file an appeal in the Sessions court.

The committee felt the CJM court should have called for an exemplary fine given that it was the most tragic incident of the industrial history of the world.

The state will also file a curative petition against the inadequacy of compensation before the Supreme Court and request the Union Government to do so against the 1989 settlement of $470 million.

In addition to its own fact-finding committee on Anderson’s escape,the state will request the Centre to form a joint task force for bringing Anderson and other absconding accused to justice.

The state government announced formation of a fact-finding committee to fix responsibility and to take appropriate action against erring officials,who failed in their respective statutory and regulatory duties at all levels leading to the disaster in 1984.