Bhopal gas tragedy convict held, given bail the same day

BHOPAL: In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested SI Qureshi, a convict in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy case, who has been absconding since 2016.

Qureshi was brought to the court of Bhopal district and sessions judge on Wednesday in an ambulance following his illhealth.

Judge RK Verma walked out of his courtroom to the ambulance of Qureshi on the premises of the court and took stock of his health, before granting him bail on the health ground.

Qureshi was picked up from Nagpur in Maharashtra on Tuesday by the Central agency, an official said on Wednesday. The judge directed Qureshi to furnish two securities of ₹1 lakh each.

Qureshi had served with the now-defunct Union Carbide in Bhopal from where the toxic gas emanated on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984, killing thousands of people in Bhopal and maiming many.

A trial court convicted Qureshi and seven others in June 2010 under section 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) and others under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Qureshi was granted twoyear imprisonment by the case.

After their conviction, Qureshi and other convicts secured bail and filed appeals in the court against the CBI’S appeal seeking enhancement in their jail terms.

During pendency of the appeal by the CBI, Qureshi went underground in 2016.

The court had issued a nonbailable warrant (NBW) against Qureshi. After the Madhya Pradesh failed to execute the arrest warrant, the court had directed the CBI to do the same.

QURESHI WAS BROUGHT TO THE COURT OF BHOPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE ON WEDNESDAY IN AN AMBULANCE FOLLOWING HIS ILL-HEALTH.